Viaplay has received approval from the Irish authorities for its merger with Premier Sports.
It means that Viaplay will be able to offer viewers a combination of movies and sports when it goes live in the UK on November 1.
The £3.99 Films & Series package will focus on “Nordic Storytelling”, while the Total package is priced at £14.99. The Total package will include both Viaplay’s own acquired content and Premier Sports.
The UK launch will take Viaplay’s direct-to-consumer footprint to 11 countries, with the US and Canada to follow in early 2023.
UK sports fans will be able to follow a broad range of live events on Viaplay, including all European Qualifiers for the UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup played by the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland men’s national football teams, along with the UEFA Nations League and friendlies, until 2028. Viaplay holds a comprehensive portfolio of rights to over 1,000 UEFA international matches from across Europe, including top-ranked teams such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Viaplay will also show LaLiga, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and Coppa Italia football; BKT United Rugby Championship, Rugby Football League and TOP 14 rugby; NHL, IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Champions Hockey League and Elite Ice Hockey League; CEV volleyball; KSW mixed martial arts; EHF handball; ISU figure skating and speed skating; World Athletics Continental Tour Gold and Indoor Tour; and much more.
Anders Jensen, Viaplay Group President and CEO said: “Viaplay will offer UK viewers a compelling combination of live sports, world-class drama and superior value for money. We are launching in this dynamic and exciting market with high ambitions and a long-term perspective, and acquiring Premier Sports will significantly accelerate our entry. Viaplay has so much to offer, and local sports fans, as well as devotees of premium Nordic and international storytelling, can now try our unique service for themselves, starting 1 November.”
Following the Irish approval; pay-TV channels Premier Sports 1 and Premier Sports 2 will be rebranded as Viaplay Sports 1 and Viaplay Sports 2, with the free-to-air TV channel FreeSports becoming Viaplay Xtra. All channels will remain available through existing distribution partners and will continue to broadcast live sports to pubs, clubs and other commercial premises throughout the UK.
Premier Sports had a total of 222,000 paying subscribers at the end of June 2022. Founded in 2009 and previously majority-owned by Setanta Sports, the company generated revenues of GBP 26.4 million in 2021.
