Every Viaplay customer now spends an average of 32 hours a month viewing content on MTG’s Nordic video streaming service – a 25 per cent increase between 2016 and 2017.
The number of started streams rose 40.5 per cent in the same period, with the total number of Viaplay customers growing 21 per cent.
With streaming services increasingly dominating consumer entertainment, Viaplay customers are watching more content than ever before – driven by three key trends.
“More than one hour every day tells its own story – Viaplay is truly creating moments that matter. In just a few years, we’ve become a Nordic drama powerhouse producing amazing original content that’s captivating audiences across the region and beyond,” said Anders Jensen, MTG EVP and chairman Nordic Entertainment.
“On big screens and small, our stories have never been more relevant. We will continue to invest in our platforms, people and productions to take the Viaplay growth phenomenon to the next level.”
Alexander Bastin, Head of Viaplay: “As a Nordic media house at the cutting edge of innovation, MTG’s portfolio is continuously evolving to meet changing user preferences and behaviours. Viaplay is rapidly attracting more customers, and they are watching more than ever before. In parallel, the app for Viafree, our free streaming service in the Nordic region, has been downloaded close to 2.6 million times. It just shows what’s possible when fantastic stories meet the most advanced and accessible platforms in the business.”
Trend #1: No substitute for original drama
Eight Viaplay original productions premiered during 2017. In every Nordic country, Viaplay’s originals were among the most viewed new series:
Hassel was the most watched new series in both Sweden and Finland
Veni Vidi Vici was the second most watched new series in Denmark
Occupied season two was the second most watched new series in Norway
Alex was the second most watched new series in Sweden and the fourth most watched new series in Finland.
Trend #2: football and fighting top of the league
In 2017, MTG streamed 50,000 hours of live sport on Viaplay. The most popular live events per country were:
Sweden: Manchester United vs. Liverpool (Premier League, 15 January)
Denmark: Juventus vs. Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League Final, 3 June)
Norway: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor (boxing, 26 August)
inland: Makwan Amirkhani vs. Arnold Allen (UFC, 18 March).
Trend #3: Big screens outsize mobile
Viewing on big screens (such as TVs or projectors) surpassed mobile devices for the first time since Viaplay launched in 2011, with a user base of 64% vs. 61% for mobile (December 2017).
Most viewed new series on Viaplay 2017:
Sweden:
Hassel (Viaplay Original)
Alex (Viaplay Original)
Prison Break
Outlander
The Blacklist
Denmark:
Prison Break
Veni Vidi Vici (Viaplay Original)
S.W.A.T.
The Blacklist
Lethal Weapon
Norway:
Prison Break
Okkupert, season 2 (Viaplay Original)
Elven
The Blacklist
S.W.A.T.
Finland:
Hassel (Viaplay Original)
Lethal Weapon
The Blacklist: Redemption
Alex (Viaplay Original)
The Blacklist
