International streaming service Viaplay hasn’t even launched in the U.K. yet, and it is already making a splash. On Thursday, the platform announced that it had acquired Ireland-based sports broadcaster Premier Sports to round out its U.K. offerings when the platform goes live in the country this coming fall.
Late last year, Viaplay announced its global expansion plan and to date service is already available in all Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States. The service plans on being available in 23 countries by the end of 2023.
With the addition of Premier Sports, the streamer adds the U.K. rights to the UEFA English national team, La Liga, Scottish League Cup soccer, Coppa Italia, United Rugby Championship, Rugby Football League, NASCAR, Elite Ice Hockey League, and more. Beginning later this year, the service will also have the broadcast rights to the NHL.
Premier Sports is comprised of two subscription-based linear channels — Premier Sports 1 and Premier Sports 2 — along with streaming service Premier Player and the free, ad-supported TV (FAST) FreeSports channel. All of these outlets will be rebranded as Viaplay properties and will eventually expand their offerings to include the company’s mix of films and series.
Across all platforms, Premier Sports has 220,000 paid subscribers; Viaplay acquired the company for GBP 30 million and all of Premier’s full-time employees are expected to remain with the company upon the deal’s closing.
“This acquisition will put Viaplay firmly on the UK map and accelerate our development in this key market,” Viaplay Group president and CEO Anders Jensen said. “Premier Sports has a loyal and expanding subscriber base, well-established distribution agreements and production capabilities, and a great sports portfolio that complements our own. There is also a big opportunity to make Viaplay’s wider offering, including our award-winning Viaplay Originals, available to Premier Sports’ subscribers … This is a fast and effective route to building an even stronger position for Viaplay in the UK.”
At launch in the U.K., Viaplay will introduce two streaming packages: the Films & Series package — which will feature Viaplay Originals focused on the “best of Nordic storytelling” — and the Total package — which consists of premium third-party content. This package will also include Viaplay and Premier Sports’ combined sports lineup, alongside Viaplay’s Films & Series offering.
In February, Viaplay teamed with Starz to bring the U.S.-based premium channel's Starzplay streamer to the Nordic countries. Full details about Viaplay’s launch in the U.K., including its complete content slate, pricing, and launch date will be announced in the coming months.