MTG takes Viaplay to Russia

European broadcast giant Modern Times Group (MTG) has launched its Nordic online Viaplay pay-TV service in Russia.

Viaplay launched a year ago to subscribers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with the Russian launch marking its first outing beyond Scandinavia.

Hans-Holger Albrecht, president and CEO of MTG, called the launch “an important milestone both for our emerging markets operations and for MTG as a leading international broadcasting group.”

Like its Scandinavian counterparts, Viaplay Russia offers subscribers unlimited on-demand access to streamed TV series, documentaries and foreign and local movies. The service is available via broadband across the country.

“More than 50 million Russians, or over 40% of the population, already use the internet, and TV content is one of the most important sources of both online and offline entertainment,” said Albrecht.

Viaplay content includes MTG’s thematic documentary channels Viasat History, Viasat Explorer and Viasat Nature, and its TV1000-branded movie channels, spanning international movies like Spider-Man 1-3, The Da Vinci Code, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Men in Black II and 50 First Dates, and Russian movies like PiraMMMida, The Ghost and Terra Nova. Subscriptions range from RUB99 (US$3.40) a month to RUB295 for six.

MTG is already present in the Russian pay-TV market on the Raduga satellite TV platform through its Viasat pay channels, and as a 38.1% shareholder in Russian free-to-air broadcaster and media group CTC Media.