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Viaplay

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This article is about the streaming service. For the media company that owns it, see Viaplay Group.
Viaplay
Type of site
Streaming service
Predecessor(s)Viasat On Demand
Area served
OwnerViaplay Group
URLviaplay.com
Launched
  • May 2007 (2007-05) (as Viasat On Demand)
    2011 (2011) (as Viaplay)

Viaplay is a Swedish video streaming service owned by Viaplay Group.[1]

History

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A Viaplay reporter interviews Bartosz Jurecki during the 2023 World Men's Handball Championship

Originally owned by Modern Times Group, it was launched in May 2007 as Viasat On Demand.[2] It was rebranded as Viaplay in 2011.[2] Viaplay released its first original fiction title, Swedish Dicks, in 2016.[3] As of 2021 it was available in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.[4][5] Capitalizing on the popularity of Nordic noir titles, the service rolled out plans to expand to Ireland, the Netherlands and UK in November 2022, and Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the US by 2023.[4][5][6][7] Viaplay launched in the United States ahead of the previously planned schedule, initially exclusively to Comcast customers, with the intention to launch a direct-to-consumer platform later.[8]

As the parent company Viaplay Group holds extensive sports rights in multiple markets, Viaplay provides sports broadcasts in most countries where it operates.

In May 2022, Viaplay announced the organisation had added the National Hockey League and Poland-based MMA promotion KSW to its UK offering.[9] In July 2022, Viaplay Group acquired U.K.-based pay TV channel operator, Premier Sports, and rebranded it under the Viaplay name by 1st November 2022.[10][11]

On 20 July 2023, it was announced that Viaplay would lay off 25% of staff while pursuing a new strategy to focus on its core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select operations.[12] The new focus means that Viaplay will completely exit from its Baltic markets, and discontinue its low tier non-sports offering in each of its remaining international markets, including the United States and United Kingdom, in order to focus on its sports offering and the sale of non-sports content through its Viaplay Select business.

In 2024, Viaplay will leave the UK and be rebranded back to Premier Sports, its former name until 2022.[13] Viaplay also left the US, Canada and Baltic markets in the beginning of 2024 as part of their new strategy.

Launch

[edit]
Launch rollout timeline
Release date Country/Territory
May 2007 Denmark
Finland
Norway
Sweden
1 April 2020[14] Iceland
28 July 2016 (ended)[15]
9 March 2021 (relaunch)[16] 		Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
3 August 2021[17] Poland
1 March 2022[18] Netherlands
1 November 2022[19] United Kingdom
2 November 2022[20] Australia (via SBS On Demand)
22 February 2023[21] United States
7 March 2023[21] Canada

References

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  1. ^ Barker, Alex (2 February 2021). "Netflix meets its match in Nordic minnow Nent". Financial Times.
  2. ^ a b "The Netflix effect – OTT in Europe". DigitalTVeurope. 5 August 2014.
  3. ^ Lodderhose, Diana (14 September 2016). "Swedish Comedy Series Starring Peter Stormare Eyes U.S. Network Pickup Via Lionsgate TV". Deadline Hollywood.
  4. ^ a b Roxborough, Scott (22 September 2021). "Scandinavian Streamer Viaplay to launch in U.K., Canada, Germany". Hollywood Reporter.
  5. ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (23 September 2021). "Inside Scandinavian Streamer Viaplay's Plans to 'Capitalize' on 'Nordic Noir' Globally". Variety.
  6. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (6 October 2021). "Nent Group Boss Anders Jensen on Viaplay's Scripted Strategy and Plan for Global Domination". Variety.
  7. ^ Grater, Tom (21 September 2021). "Nordic Streaming Service Viaplay to launch in UK, Canada, Germany, Austria & Switzerland by 2023". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. ^ "Premium Nordic streaming service Viaplay to launch in the US on 15 December". NENT Group. 2021-12-13.
  9. ^ "NHL and KSW added to Viaplay's UK portfolio". Sports Business. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Viaplay buys Premier Sports, hires DAZN's Edward Breeze". Broadband TV News. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  11. ^ Bassam, Tom (21 July 2022). "Viaplay acquires Premier Sports in UK£30m deal to expand UK offering". SportsPro. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Viaplay to Lay Off 25 Percent of Staff, End Streaming Services in U.S., U.K. to Focus on Core Nordic Markets, Explore Sale". Hollywood Reporter. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Q2 2023 interim report January-June". Viaplay Group. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  14. ^ "NENT Group to launch Viaplay in Iceland on 1 April". Nordic entertainment group. 26 March 2020.
  15. ^ "MTG lanserar Viaplay i Baltikum". News Powered by Cision. 28 July 2016.
  16. ^ "NENT Group is launching Viaplay in the Baltics". Nordic entertainment group. 9 March 2021.
  17. ^ "NENT Group to launch Viaplay in Poland on 3 August". Nordic entertainment group. 6 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Viaplay to launch in the Netherlands on 1 March". Nordic entertainment group. 8 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Premier Sports becomes Viaplay on 1st November". rxtvinfo.com. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Viaplay Group and SBS bring Viaplay Select to Australian audiences". viaplaygroup.com. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Viaplay sets US and Canada direct-to-consumer launch dates". viaplaygroup.com. February 8, 2023.
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