Viaplay's Rapti on navigating challenges and seizing opportunities in 2025
LONDON TV SCREENINGS: As the global content distribution landscape continues to change at an unprecedented pace, Vanda Rapti, exec VP of Viaplay Select & Content Distribution, tells C21 about the company’s direction, the industry’s challenges and the opportunities ahead.
Vanda Rapti
“The London TV Screenings has solidified its place as a key event in the industry,” Vanda Rapti, exec VP of Viaplay Select & Content Distribution says, regarding this week’s events in the UK capital, where the Nordic company is launching new dramas Vanguard (SVT/New8) and A Life’s Worth (Viaplay/Arte) today.
Originally seen as an alternative to traditional markets, the event has matured into a must-attend fixture for international buyers. For Viaplay, now in its third year of participation, the screenings are invaluable, Rapti says: “It gives us a great chance to connect with partners and showcase our content in a more personal, focused way.”
The content distribution sector has undergone significant changes in those years, with streamers and broadcasters grappling with financial constraints and fluctuating advertising revenues. Viaplay itself has felt the impact of this, as has been well documented on C21 over the past 18 months.
“It is a fact that the content distribution landscape has been evolving fast due to both the strain on streamers globally and locally, as well as the challenges in the advertising market – both having affected all players and platforms,” she explains.
Regarding the company’s international distribution focus, Rapti emphasises how this new reality has prompted innovative collaboration models. “When buyers are balancing tighter budgets, there is increased creativity in collaboration,” she explains.
Viaplay Select & Content Distribution is launching A Life’s Worth at London TV Screenings
Viaplay has responded by diversifying its offerings. “Our dynamic approach, through a versatile catalogue of premium Nordic and European scripted series, true crime and sports documentaries, as well as partnership models like Viaplay Select and SVoD channels, helps address the challenges streamers, broadcasters, and aggregators face today.”
Looking ahead, she says distributors face the complex task of balancing exclusivity with reach. “It’s about navigating evolving windowing strategies, and standing out in an increasingly crowded marketplace,” Rapti explains. Economic pressures have made deal-making more complex, underscoring the importance of what she describes as “flexibility and strong multi-upside partnerships.”
Nordic content continues to captivate international audiences, with the UK and wider European markets showing growing interest, she reports on the eve of the company’s trip to London. “There has been increasing appreciation for distinct Nordic storytelling.”
While crime dramas remain a staple, there is a marked appetite for innovative takes on familiar genres. Premium thrillers, character-driven dramas, romcoms and young adult series are seeing rising demand, alongside unscripted formats like true crime and sports documentaries. “Buyers are looking for standout stories with clear international appeal,” she adds.
Vanguard is also on its way to London (Photo: Niklas Maupoix and Nicklas Elmrin)
Viaplay sees considerable growth potential in smaller markets, where local players face intense competition. “Growth opportunities come from smaller markets where the local players… have greater need for smart partnerships,” Rapti explains. These partnerships can be vital in helping local players meet their content needs efficiently.
Like many execs in London this week, she puts a lot of emphasis on coproduction, and it’s a buzzword that has driven alliances between Nordic public broadcasters, such as the Nordvision N12 partnership, as well as the more recent New8 partnership and the Scandi Alliance between commercial broadcasters in the region.
Rapti says these coproduction alliances between Nordic broadcasters are proving effective in the current climate: “Pooling resources for ambitious projects allows for higher-value productions, stronger casts and broader creative scope.” Importantly, such alliances secure prefinancing from multiple markets, increasing the likelihood of projects being greenlit. “It simply improves the possibility for projects to get produced with lower gaps to be filled from worldwide distribution,” she adds.
Outside the Nordic region, the shifting dynamics of the US market, marked by strikes and reduced content output in recent years, have had ripple effects globally. “The strikes and reduced output from the US have been a benefit for UK and European productions in the global distribution scene,” Rapti observes. With US studios focusing on safer, broader storytelling to suit the new requirements of the AVoD-focused streamers, European producers have a chance to fill the void with bold and distinct narratives.
As for potential policy changes under a Trump administration, Rapti remains cautious. “It’s hard to predict,” she says. However, she suggests that protectionist policies could also spur demand for European content, as audiences seek fresh and diverse stories.
Another big issue for Rapti is tech-driven: artificial intelligence is reshaping the content industry, and Viaplay is leveraging this technology to its advantage. “AI-driven analytics help us understand audience preferences, optimise windowing strategies, and refine content recommendations,” Rapti explains.
On the production side, AI streamlines workflows, from script analysis to dubbing and localisation. She believes AI will enhance human creativity rather than replace it. “Creators can be increasingly supported in writing stories and scripts, enhancing the emotional depth and cultural nuance from talented creators,” she says.
But it all comes back to money, at the end of the day and alternative financing models are becoming increasingly important in the content landscape, she says. “Private equity and brand-financed content are becoming more prominent.
“These alternative funding models provide new opportunities to produce and distribute premium content that might not fit within the traditional commissioning model. They offer more flexibility in financing, helping bridge gaps in production budgets and enabling bigger, more ambitious projects. Brand partnerships, while offering exciting new opportunities, require careful alignment to maintain editorial integrity while tapping into these fresh funding streams.”
As more of 2025 comes into focus, Rapti says Viaplay’s strategy is built on adaptability, innovation and collaboration. By embracing diverse funding models, leveraging technological advancements and prioritising strong partnerships, the company aims to navigate industry challenges while seizing new growth opportunities. “Flexibility, creative collaboration and a strong understanding of audience needs will be the keys to thriving in the evolving distribution landscape,” Rapti concludes.
