NENT takes Viaplay to Iceland

Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group will launch its Viaplay streaming service in Iceland in the first half of 2020, giving the platform a presence in every country in the Nordics.

Anders Jensen

Viaplay will be made available via direct subscription and third-party partnerships across the country. Package prices, content offerings and the exact launch date will be announced soon.

The announcement of the Iceland launch comes after NENT revealed a major management restructure week, with a slimmed-down senior leadership team headed by group president and CEO Ander Jensen.

Jensen said: “Bringing Viaplay to Iceland is the right move at the right time for NENT Group. We have built Viaplay into the number-one Nordic streaming service in our current markets and we see a wider appetite for our unique combination of originals, international films and series, kids’ content and live sports.

“At the same time, our new organisational model will enable us to expand faster and more efficiently. Our cutting-edge technology is built to scale in a very cost-effective way, and Iceland’s technology leadership, thriving creative scene and highly connected society make it an ideal setting for Viaplay, which will now be available in every Nordic country.”

Viaplay has more than 1.4 million paying subscribers across the Nordic region and is home to 52 original series, as well as broadcasting over 50,000 hours of live sport.

In related news, NENT has greenlit a second season of original Swedish comedy series Love Me to which US broadcast network ABC recently acquired English-language remake rights.

Series creator, writer, director and star Josephine Bornebusch returns for season two, which will premiere across the Nordic region exclusively on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in autumn 2020.