MTG’s Viasat Broadcasting has secured the rights to the English Premier League in Sweden, marking a split in the way the rights are allocated. MTG has acquired the rights from Medge Consulting, which holds the rights to the Premier League in the Nordic region.
The agreement with Medge Consulting, owned by former Canal+ Nordic executives Peter Liljestrand and Tim Smart, validates earlier agreements with TV2 Norway and SBS in Denmark. It means that Canal+ Nordic, the previous rights holder, has lost the property in the majority of its key markets. The rights for Finland are still to be decided.
“Medge Consulting’s successful sub-license agreement with Viasat for the Swedish market is further proof of the popularity of the Barclays Premier League in the Nordic region,” said Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the FA Premier League. “We are extremely confident that Viasat will broadcast Barclays Premier League football in a comprehensive and innovative manner.”
In Sweden Premier League coverage will be seen on the Viasat Fotboll, Viasat Sport and Viasat Sport HD pay-TV channels and on a new dedicated Viasat Premier League HD channel, which will be satellite exclusive. Viasat will carry around 228 live matches each season.
TV2 also plans to run the new HD channel that is being established by the Premier League.
