Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Viaplay - statistics & facts
Viaplay’s career as a direct-to-consumer platform in North America was short-lived. Following the decreasing demand for subscription-based streaming services and the loss of its customer base, the video-on-demand platform, owned by one of Sweden’s largest media companies Viaplay Group (formerly Nordic Entertainment Group) cut back on international operations in mid-2023 only months after its launch.
With this new strategy in place – a combination of live sports events, own productions, concentrating on core markets, as well as making content available through cooperations in other countries – Viaplay could already decrease costs and improve income, living up to previous successes.
What happened to the rising streaming star?
First introduced in 2007 as Viasat OnDemand, the rebranded service Viaplay increased its subscriber base rapidly over the years until the first quarter of 2023, amassing 7.6 million subscribers. With the demand for locally produced content higher than ever, it seemed to be an ideal time to serve North American audiences with high-quality international content. Viaplay became available in the U.S. and Canada in February 2023, offering access to more than 1,500 hours of European content such as Nordic Noir crime stories, as well as domestic and international TV shows, movies, and documentaries at a monthly price of 5.99 U.S. dollars and 6.99 Canadian dollars, respectively. This set it apart in comparison to other subscription-based streaming services charging more for their monthly plans. Yet, Viaplay started feeling the effects of market saturation and growing costs of operations in international markets. In 2023, Viaplay recorded huge losses, peaking in mid-2023 at over 6.5 billion Swedish kronor.Viaplay’s next chapter
A new approach was needed. Viaplay sold the UK-based TV and streaming provider Premier Sports and laid off 25 percent of its workforce. The French Canal+ took a minority stake in Viaplay in 2023, which is now focusing on distributing content through partnerships with Amazon Prime Video and Roku. Similarly to other struggling streaming services around the globe, the platform rolled out an ad-supported tier for its VOD business in Sweden and is now relying on password-sharing fees. In terms of content, Viaplay is expected to premiere over 55 scripted originals by the end of 2024. Additionally, the company secured exclusive rights to broadcast three UEFA club competitions in the Nordics, in order to expand its sports streaming portfolio and strengthen its core country operations. In the second quarter of 2024, the number of Viaplay subscribers in this region was more than three times higher than in its remaining markets.With this new strategy in place – a combination of live sports events, own productions, concentrating on core markets, as well as making content available through cooperations in other countries – Viaplay could already decrease costs and improve income, living up to previous successes.
