Viaplay launches in the UK as streamer’s international expansion continues

Scandinavia’s Viaplay Group has launched its Viaplay streaming service in the UK today, with US and Canadian launches set to follow early next year.

Anders Jensen

A film and TV series subscription to Viaplay costs £3.99 (US$4.60) a month in the UK and provides access to over 1,000 hours of originals alongside curated third-party content.

Viaplay is currently available in every Nordic and Baltic country, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, with launches in the US, Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland coming in 2023.

In the UK, the service will initially skew towards genres such as Nordic noir, drama and young adult content, with Viaplay originals such as Cell 8, Fenris, Honour, Partisan, Those Who Kill, Harmonica, Love Me, Pernille, A Class Apart, Delete Me, Threesome and Thunder in My Heart.

Viaplay has an expanding documentary slate, with Nordic and international productions such as Natascha Kampusch: A Lifetime in Prison, Operation Cannabis, Superswede and The Prize of Silence.

Acquisitions available in the UK include Catch & Release, Exit, Gåsmamman, Thin Blue Line and Wallander.

A package that includes original sport is priced at £14.99 and comes after Viaplay Group purchased local sportscaster Premier Sports earlier this year.

Viaplay’s live sports offering includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s European Qualifiers for the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup.

Anders Jensen, Viaplay Group president and CEO, said: “Viaplay has so much to offer UK viewers. Starting today, subscribers can enjoy original storytelling that has won prizes around the world, attractive third-party content from all Nordic countries and beyond, and top-class local and international sports – all through one competitively priced service. This launch is great news for viewers and a milestone for our company. Nordic noir is just the beginning for Viaplay in the UK.”