Streaming Platform Viaplay Confirms February, United States Launch for Direct-to-Consumer Service
Customers in the United States will soon have even more access to the Scandinavian-based streaming service Viaplay. The company has confirmed that Viaplay will launch as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) service in the U.S. in February of 2023. Previously, U.S. customers only had access to Viaplay through a third-party subscription on Comcast Xfinity platforms.
Viaplay is one of the smaller streaming companies out there, currently sitting at around 9 million paid subscribers worldwide. But it has shown impressive growth for a company that only started in 2020. It’s not all that far away from Peacock’s reported third-quarter subscriber total of 15 million. That puts Viaplay’s success into perspective as it is not working with the global reach of the NBC brand and the Comcast corporation.
Viaplay brings audiences over 1,100 hours of content, with a primary focus on thrillers, dramas, and young adult content. Some of Viaplay’s originals include “Wisting,” “Partisan,” “Delete Me,” “A Class Apart,” and many others. Documentary series and third-party content are also available on the service.
The streaming platform was first made available via Comcast Xfinity devices in December 2021. At that time, Viaplay Group President and CEO Anders Jensen saw lots of room in the U.S. for the expansion of the service.
“There is a receptive audience of Nordic drama fans waiting in the US for Viaplay’s unique offering, which will bring the best of Nordic storytelling to the world’s most dynamic streaming market,” Jensen said.
More recently, Viaplay has been making modest moves to enhance its global profile. The streaming service acquired the Ireland-based sports broadcaster Premier Sports in July, preparing the ground for its U.K. launch which will take place in March 2023. The acquisition gave Viaplay 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.
Viaplay also struck a deal in February to carry Starzplay, the international streaming platform from Starz. The deal brought Starzplay to four Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
Viaplay
Viaplay is a video on demand service focused on Nordic storytelling with more than 1,500 hours of award-winning content. The content library includes “Trom,” “Furia,” and “Partisan.” The line-up also includes Viaplay’s provocative young adult drama “Threesome,” a broad range of compelling documentaries, and much more.