Viaplay
{{Short description|Swedish video streaming service}}
{{About|the streaming service|the media company that owns it|Viaplay Group}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Viaplay
| logo = Viaplay logo.svg
| screenshot =
| caption =
| collapsible =
| type = Streaming service
| launch_date = {{ubl|{{Start date|2007|5}} (as Viasat On Demand)
{{Start date|2011}} (as Viaplay)}}
| predecessor = Viasat On Demand
| area_served = {{flatlist|
}}
| key_people =
| owner = Viaplay Group
| parent =
| url = {{URL|https://viaplay.com}}
| registration =
}}
Viaplay is a Swedish video streaming service owned by Viaplay Group.{{cite web |url=https://www.ft.com/content/2de749c0-893f-40bf-b585-01f513bb2d29 |website=Financial Times |title=Netflix meets its match in Nordic minnow Nent |date=2 February 2021 |first=Alex |last=Barker}}
History
File:Wywiad Bartosza Jureckiego dla telewizji Viaplay.jpg during the 2023 World Men's Handball Championship.]]
Originally owned by Modern Times Group, it was launched in May 2007 as Viasat On Demand.{{cite web |url=https://www.digitaltveurope.com/longread/the-netflix-effect-ott-in-europe/ |website=DigitalTVeurope |title=The Netflix effect – OTT in Europe |date=5 August 2014}} It was rebranded as Viaplay in 2011. Viaplay released its first original fiction title, Swedish Dicks, in 2016.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/swedish-dicks-starring-peter-stormare-lionsgate-television-1201819396/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |title=Swedish Comedy Series Starring Peter Stormare Eyes U.S. Network Pickup Via Lionsgate TV |date=14 September 2016 |first=Diana |last=Lodderhose}} {{as of|2021|post=}} it was available in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nordic-streamer-viaplay-to-launch-in-uk-canada-germany-1235018399/ |website=Hollywood Reporter |title=Scandinavian Streamer Viaplay to launch in U.K., Canada, Germany |date=22 September 2021 |first=Scott |last=Roxborough}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/streaming/global/nent-viaplay-uk-us-expansion-1235072168/ |website=Variety |title=Inside Scandinavian Streamer Viaplay's Plans to 'Capitalize' on 'Nordic Noir' Globally |date=23 September 2021 |first=Elsa |last=Keslassy}}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/awards/anders-jensen-viaplay-scripted-strategy-global-1235080505/ |website=Variety |title=Nent Group Boss Anders Jensen on Viaplay's Scripted Strategy and Plan for Global Domination |date=6 October 2021 |first=Elsa |last=Keslassy}}{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/nordic-streaming-service-viaplay-launch-uk-canada-germany-austria-switzerland-2023-1234841995/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |title=Nordic Streaming Service Viaplay to launch in UK, Canada, Germany, Austria & Switzerland by 2023 |date=21 September 2021 |first=Tom |last=Grater}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.viaplaygroup.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/premium-nordic-streaming-service-viaplay-launch-us-15-december-1972392 |website=Viaplay Group |title=Premium Nordic streaming service Viaplay to launch in the US on 15 December |date=2021-12-13}}
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.{{cite journal |date=25 April 2022 |url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/nhl-and-ksw-added-to-viaplays-uk-portfolio/ |title=NHL and KSW added to Viaplay's UK portfolio |journal=Sports Business |access-date=19 May 2022}} In July 2022, Viaplay Group acquired U.K.-based pay TV channel operator, Premier Sports, and rebranded it under the Viaplay name by 1 November 2022.{{cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=Viaplay buys Premier Sports, hires DAZN's Edward Breeze |url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2022/07/21/viaplay-buys-premier-sports-hires-dazns-edward-breeze/ |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Broadband TV News |language=en-GB}}{{cite web |last=Bassam |first=Tom |date=21 July 2022 |title=Viaplay acquires Premier Sports in UK£30m deal to expand UK offering |url=https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/viaplay-premier-sports-uk-launch-2022-uefa-laliga-tv-rights-subscribers/ |website=SportsPro |access-date=22 July 2022}}
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.{{cite journal |date=20 July 2023 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/viaplay-layoffs-explore-sale-exit-us-uk-streaming-1235539452/ |title=Viaplay to Lay Off 25 Percent of Staff, End Streaming Services in U.S., U.K. to Focus on Core Nordic Markets, Explore Sale |journal=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=20 July 2023}} 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, SSBL Ltd bought back Viaplay's operations in the United Kingdom and the service was rebranded back to Premier Sports, its former name until 2022.{{cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=Q2 2023 interim report January–June |url=https://www.viaplaygroup.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/q2-2023-interim-report-january-june-2145574 |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Viaplay Group |language=en-GB}} Viaplay also left the US, Canada, Baltic, and UK markets in the beginning of 2024 as part of their new strategy.
Launch
Footnotes
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References
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External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- {{Official website|https://viaplay.com/}}
{{VOD services}}
Category:Subscription video on demand services
Category:Internet properties established in 2007
Category:2007 establishments in Sweden
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