Less than two months from the end of its U.S. streaming service, Nordic entertainment hub Viaplay is back up and running as a channel on Prime Video. If you have Prime Video, you can check out Viaplay with a free 7-day trial. If you don’t have Prime Video, it’s easy to give that a try with a free 30-day trial.
7-Day Free Trial $5.99+ / month viaplay via amazon.com
Prime Video is home to dozens of great add-on channels, and nearly all of them have weeklong free trials.
Viaplay’s initial launch in the U.S. and Canada helped push the streamer’s international subscriber total to 7.64 million, but the honeymoon was short-lived. In June 2023, Viaplay downgraded its future financial forecasts and CEO Anders Jensen resigned; Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, who was the former CEO of Viaplay’s previous parent company, took over the chief executive role.
Despite the C-suite drama,...
7-Day Free Trial $5.99+ / month viaplay via amazon.com
Prime Video is home to dozens of great add-on channels, and nearly all of them have weeklong free trials.
Viaplay’s initial launch in the U.S. and Canada helped push the streamer’s international subscriber total to 7.64 million, but the honeymoon was short-lived. In June 2023, Viaplay downgraded its future financial forecasts and CEO Anders Jensen resigned; Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, who was the former CEO of Viaplay’s previous parent company, took over the chief executive role.
Despite the C-suite drama,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
France’s Canal+ Group has acquired a 12% stake in Viaplay, the leading Scandinavian streamer which announced earlier today that it would cut 25% of its workforce.
Canal + did not disclose any figure related to the deal. A subsidiary of Vivendi, Canal+ is already present in 50 territories and boasts 25.5 million subscribers, 16 million of which are from metropolitan France. The French pay TV group is also a majority shareholder in the South Africa-based platform MultiChoice.
Viaplay, the listed Scandinavian streamer, is preparing to trim 25% of its workforce as it plans to focus on its core Nordic and Dutch business, as well as sports and international distribution. Approximately 450 jobs will be axed as part of the layoff plan. These include the company’s Cco for the Nordics, Filippa Wallestam, who has been a leading force behind the streamer’s output in ambitious scripted originals. Going forward, Viaplay intends on delivering approximated 10 scripted Viaplay...
Canal + did not disclose any figure related to the deal. A subsidiary of Vivendi, Canal+ is already present in 50 territories and boasts 25.5 million subscribers, 16 million of which are from metropolitan France. The French pay TV group is also a majority shareholder in the South Africa-based platform MultiChoice.
Viaplay, the listed Scandinavian streamer, is preparing to trim 25% of its workforce as it plans to focus on its core Nordic and Dutch business, as well as sports and international distribution. Approximately 450 jobs will be axed as part of the layoff plan. These include the company’s Cco for the Nordics, Filippa Wallestam, who has been a leading force behind the streamer’s output in ambitious scripted originals. Going forward, Viaplay intends on delivering approximated 10 scripted Viaplay...
- 7/20/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
American customers will have to say goodbye to Viaplay. The Nordic streaming service reported its second-quarter earnings on Thursday morning and revealed that it had shrunk to 6.6 million subscribers. That’s a decrease of around 1 million over the 7.64 million global customers the service claimed at the end of Q1 in April.
7-Day Free Trial $5.99 / month viaplay.com
The real story to come from Viaplay’s earnings report was the announcement that it was pulling its streaming platform out of the United States and United Kingdom. Henceforward, Viaplay will focus on the Nordic and Dutch markets, while offering certain content internationally through third parties with Viaplay Select. The company will also lay off around 25% of its employee base in an attempt to get on the right financial footing.
“We are today announcing a new strategy and plan, which includes, but is not limited to, focusing on our core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select operations,...
7-Day Free Trial $5.99 / month viaplay.com
The real story to come from Viaplay’s earnings report was the announcement that it was pulling its streaming platform out of the United States and United Kingdom. Henceforward, Viaplay will focus on the Nordic and Dutch markets, while offering certain content internationally through third parties with Viaplay Select. The company will also lay off around 25% of its employee base in an attempt to get on the right financial footing.
“We are today announcing a new strategy and plan, which includes, but is not limited to, focusing on our core Nordic, Netherlands and Viaplay Select operations,...
- 7/20/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Updated With More Details Of Layoffs 3:18 a.m. Pt: Viaplay is letting go of more than 25% of its staff as it pulls streaming out of the U.S. and UK and mulls a sale.
The embattled Nordic operation has unveiled a new strategy and plan alongside its Q2 results, which improved on last year but have been paired with a decision to “regrettably let go of more than 25% of our people,” according to new CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, who replaced Anders Jensen last month with immediate effect.
Redundancies will impact around 450 people and the cost of restructuring will be approximately 45M Swedish Krona ($4M), according to today’s Q2 update, with Lindemann set to address investors and journalists in the next hour. The move comes in the same week that Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 also said it would cut around 400 roles.
Deadline understands senior execs set to be laid off...
The embattled Nordic operation has unveiled a new strategy and plan alongside its Q2 results, which improved on last year but have been paired with a decision to “regrettably let go of more than 25% of our people,” according to new CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, who replaced Anders Jensen last month with immediate effect.
Redundancies will impact around 450 people and the cost of restructuring will be approximately 45M Swedish Krona ($4M), according to today’s Q2 update, with Lindemann set to address investors and journalists in the next hour. The move comes in the same week that Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 also said it would cut around 400 roles.
Deadline understands senior execs set to be laid off...
- 7/20/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
After changing its top leadership and merging its Swedish and Norwegian production units, Viaplay, the listed Scandinavian streamer, has announced that it will lay off 25% of its workforce as it plans to focus on its core Nordic and Dutch business, as well as sports and international distribution. Approximately 450 jobs will be axed as part of the layoff plan.
Filippa Wallestam, chief commercial officer for the Nordics, is departing the org. Wallestam has been a leading force behind the streamer’s output in ambitious scripted originals, including the banner’s dive in English-language content. Viaplay will not be totally pulling out of originals but will be focusing on Nordic unscripted originals. Going forward, the streamer intends on delivering approximated 10 scripted Viaplay series or movies per year, as per the outline of the content plan for 2024. It’s a massive reduction from the previous output which included at least 40 original productions per year.
Filippa Wallestam, chief commercial officer for the Nordics, is departing the org. Wallestam has been a leading force behind the streamer’s output in ambitious scripted originals, including the banner’s dive in English-language content. Viaplay will not be totally pulling out of originals but will be focusing on Nordic unscripted originals. Going forward, the streamer intends on delivering approximated 10 scripted Viaplay series or movies per year, as per the outline of the content plan for 2024. It’s a massive reduction from the previous output which included at least 40 original productions per year.
- 7/20/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“We have too much scripted content,” new Viaplay CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann said today as he was pressed by investors on the state of the embattled Nordic outfit’s finances and future sustainability.
A scripted cull is therefore incoming, said Lindemann, with too many shows and movies greenlit over the past couple of years, as Viaplay pivots focus to “local and relevant” unscripted and acquired content. Included in today’s Q2 update and major strategic announcement was a commitment to “write down underperforming shows and accelerate amortisation of scripted content.”
“A lot of the [scripted originals] we have acquired and produced are not paying off,” Lindemann told investors and press during a results call. “It’s not bad content but commercially it’s not right.”
Lindemann’s predecessor Anders Jensen, who resigned with immediate effect last month, previously set a target of greenlighting one scripted TV series or movie per week, including...
A scripted cull is therefore incoming, said Lindemann, with too many shows and movies greenlit over the past couple of years, as Viaplay pivots focus to “local and relevant” unscripted and acquired content. Included in today’s Q2 update and major strategic announcement was a commitment to “write down underperforming shows and accelerate amortisation of scripted content.”
“A lot of the [scripted originals] we have acquired and produced are not paying off,” Lindemann told investors and press during a results call. “It’s not bad content but commercially it’s not right.”
Lindemann’s predecessor Anders Jensen, who resigned with immediate effect last month, previously set a target of greenlighting one scripted TV series or movie per week, including...
- 7/20/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Scandinavian streamer Viaplay outlined plans on Thursday to focus on its core markets in the Nordics and Netherlands, including the end of streaming services launched in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., and lay off more than 25 percent of staff. The moves are part of broad-based cost-cutting measures amid various business challenges cited by Viaplay’s new CEO.
The company will also consider various strategic options, including a possible sale.
Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, who replaced Anders Jensen as CEO of the pan-Nordic streaming group in June, had recently warned that 2023 revenue and earnings would come in sharply below previous forecasts and that cost-cutting would be needed. His team at the time also pulled the firm’s previously unveiled full-year 2023 outlook after a review of its operations and performance.
Viaplay back then also said it would be taking “a broad range of actions to address the underlying deterioration in earnings,...
The company will also consider various strategic options, including a possible sale.
Jorgen Madsen Lindemann, who replaced Anders Jensen as CEO of the pan-Nordic streaming group in June, had recently warned that 2023 revenue and earnings would come in sharply below previous forecasts and that cost-cutting would be needed. His team at the time also pulled the firm’s previously unveiled full-year 2023 outlook after a review of its operations and performance.
Viaplay back then also said it would be taking “a broad range of actions to address the underlying deterioration in earnings,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pan-Nordic streaming group Viaplay on Thursday said it is pulling its previously announced full-year outlook for 2023. A review of the company’s operations and performance, undertaken by new CEO Jorgen Madsen Lindemann after his appointment last month, indicated that the forward revenue and earnings outlook for Viaplay will be sharply down on previous forecasts, the company said.
Viaplay said there was no change to the Group’s Q2 2023 guidance and did not give further details, saying it would provide an update on its strategy and medium-term outlook in conjunction with the announcement of its Q2 results on July 20.
Lindemann, who used to run Viaplay’s former parent company Mtg, took over at the Nordic media company in June, replacing Anders Jensen, the boss who had led Viaplay’s aggressive expansion into streaming and its push into pricey original productions. The company’s board soured on Jensen after disastrous second-quarter results...
Viaplay said there was no change to the Group’s Q2 2023 guidance and did not give further details, saying it would provide an update on its strategy and medium-term outlook in conjunction with the announcement of its Q2 results on July 20.
Lindemann, who used to run Viaplay’s former parent company Mtg, took over at the Nordic media company in June, replacing Anders Jensen, the boss who had led Viaplay’s aggressive expansion into streaming and its push into pricey original productions. The company’s board soured on Jensen after disastrous second-quarter results...
- 7/13/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Viaplay Group has unveiled its new operating model and executive management team for the Nordics as it anticipates an economic downturn. Earlier this month, Viaplay issued a warning over its second-quarter results and told employees that it would merge the Swedish and Norwegian units of its production arm into a new entity named Viaplay Studios.
The listed banner also has new leadership — Anders Jensen stepped down and was replaced by Jorgen Madsen Lindemann as Viaplay’s CEO and president.
Under the new operating model, which will be effective on July 1, the daily operation and strategic development of the businesses will be spearheaded by country management teams. Madsen Lindemann will be interim CEO of the Swedish and Finnish operations; Lars Bo Jeppesen has been appointed as EVP and CEO of the Danish and Icelandic operations and will join on Aug. 1.; and Kenneth Andresen has been appointed as interim CEO of the Norwegian operation.
The listed banner also has new leadership — Anders Jensen stepped down and was replaced by Jorgen Madsen Lindemann as Viaplay’s CEO and president.
Under the new operating model, which will be effective on July 1, the daily operation and strategic development of the businesses will be spearheaded by country management teams. Madsen Lindemann will be interim CEO of the Swedish and Finnish operations; Lars Bo Jeppesen has been appointed as EVP and CEO of the Danish and Icelandic operations and will join on Aug. 1.; and Kenneth Andresen has been appointed as interim CEO of the Norwegian operation.
- 6/28/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Viaplay has unveiled a new operating model as it battles the economic downturn.
The new structure will see a team of Nordic-based execs taking on local segments and reviewing “their organisations to ensure full optimisation and focus.”
This comes after Viaplay CEO Anders Jensen stood down after five years to be replaced by former Mtg CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, and the merger of the streamer’s Swedish and Norwegian operations, as we revealed this month.
Madsen Lindemann himself will become interim CEO of Viaplay’s Finnish operations, alongside his role as President and CEO of the wider company. A permanent appointment is being sought.
Former Snap Nordics boss Lars Bo Jeppesen has been appointed as EVP and CEO of the Danish and Icelandic operations and will join on 1 August. Kenneth Andresen has been appointed as interim CEO of the Norwegian operation.
Peter Nørrelund, who recently rejoined Viaplay as EVP and Chief Sports & Business Development Officer,...
The new structure will see a team of Nordic-based execs taking on local segments and reviewing “their organisations to ensure full optimisation and focus.”
This comes after Viaplay CEO Anders Jensen stood down after five years to be replaced by former Mtg CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, and the merger of the streamer’s Swedish and Norwegian operations, as we revealed this month.
Madsen Lindemann himself will become interim CEO of Viaplay’s Finnish operations, alongside his role as President and CEO of the wider company. A permanent appointment is being sought.
Former Snap Nordics boss Lars Bo Jeppesen has been appointed as EVP and CEO of the Danish and Icelandic operations and will join on 1 August. Kenneth Andresen has been appointed as interim CEO of the Norwegian operation.
Peter Nørrelund, who recently rejoined Viaplay as EVP and Chief Sports & Business Development Officer,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The Nordic streaming service Viaplay is carving out a niche for itself. Viaplay released its earnings report for the first quarter of 2023 on Tuesday, and it shows that the streamer’s international expansion has been a successful strategy so far.
Viaplay now has 7.64 million global users, a figure that’s up 60% year-over-year from 2021’s 4.78M. Viaplay saw an increase of 325,000 subscribers over the previous quarter, an increase that was no doubt aided by the addition of several markets to its distribution network.
7-Day Free Trial $5.99 / month viaplay.com
The biggest market that saw a Viaplay rollout recently was the United States. Viaplay launched in the U.S. on Feb. 22, and it’s reasonable to assume that much of the service’s subscriber gains over the last quarter are due to its domestic launch. Overall, Viaplay is now available in 33 markets across the globe.
More than half of Viaplay’s customers are still Nordic subscribers,...
Viaplay now has 7.64 million global users, a figure that’s up 60% year-over-year from 2021’s 4.78M. Viaplay saw an increase of 325,000 subscribers over the previous quarter, an increase that was no doubt aided by the addition of several markets to its distribution network.
7-Day Free Trial $5.99 / month viaplay.com
The biggest market that saw a Viaplay rollout recently was the United States. Viaplay launched in the U.S. on Feb. 22, and it’s reasonable to assume that much of the service’s subscriber gains over the last quarter are due to its domestic launch. Overall, Viaplay is now available in 33 markets across the globe.
More than half of Viaplay’s customers are still Nordic subscribers,...
- 4/25/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
‘Survivor UK’ Maker Remarkable Entertainment Sets New Top Team
Banijay UK’s Remarkable Entertainment, the producer behind the upcoming BBC version of Survivor and Richard Osman’s House of Games, has promoted Creative Directors Tamara Gilder and Cat Lawson to Joint Managing Directors. At the same time, Natalka Znak, who oversees Remarkable, Initial and Znak TV as CEO, as upped Banijay UK Director of Programmes Claire O’Donohoe to Chief Creative Officer. She’ll work across Remarkable, Big Brother maker Initial and Znak TV, having only joined in February. All three report to Znak. The changes come soon after Deadline revealed Initial’s Co-Managing Director Cat Lynch is moving to become Amazon Studios UK Unscripted Executive.
Viaplay Slows International Roll Out But Signs Pickbox Deal, Sets Na Launch Date
Nordic streamer Viaplay is scaling back its launch plans for 2023 after announcing it is expecting a loss of approximately SEK1BN (92M...
Banijay UK’s Remarkable Entertainment, the producer behind the upcoming BBC version of Survivor and Richard Osman’s House of Games, has promoted Creative Directors Tamara Gilder and Cat Lawson to Joint Managing Directors. At the same time, Natalka Znak, who oversees Remarkable, Initial and Znak TV as CEO, as upped Banijay UK Director of Programmes Claire O’Donohoe to Chief Creative Officer. She’ll work across Remarkable, Big Brother maker Initial and Znak TV, having only joined in February. All three report to Znak. The changes come soon after Deadline revealed Initial’s Co-Managing Director Cat Lynch is moving to become Amazon Studios UK Unscripted Executive.
Viaplay Slows International Roll Out But Signs Pickbox Deal, Sets Na Launch Date
Nordic streamer Viaplay is scaling back its launch plans for 2023 after announcing it is expecting a loss of approximately SEK1BN (92M...
- 11/9/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Viaplay Group, Scandinavia’s leading streaming service, has set the dates for its launch in the U.S. and Canada for February and March, respectively.
During its 2022 Capital Markets Day in Stockholm, Viaplay also unveiled its deal with Pickbox Now to make Viaplay Select, its curated subscription-based service, available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. Viaplay Select, which features Viaplay Originals and third-party content, will now be available in 18 markets in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America.
The company, which is currently available as a direct-to-consumer platform in 11 European countries has also confirmed it will delay its launch in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, which was previously slated for 2023. Alluding to the banner’s decision to postpone its launch in further markets besides North America, Anders Jensen (pictured), Viaplay Group president and CEO, said the company was “implementing a cost savings and investment deferral program...
During its 2022 Capital Markets Day in Stockholm, Viaplay also unveiled its deal with Pickbox Now to make Viaplay Select, its curated subscription-based service, available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. Viaplay Select, which features Viaplay Originals and third-party content, will now be available in 18 markets in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America.
The company, which is currently available as a direct-to-consumer platform in 11 European countries has also confirmed it will delay its launch in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, which was previously slated for 2023. Alluding to the banner’s decision to postpone its launch in further markets besides North America, Anders Jensen (pictured), Viaplay Group president and CEO, said the company was “implementing a cost savings and investment deferral program...
- 11/9/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
‘Clickbait’ Star Phoenix Raei & Hugo Weaving Set For Australian Mystery ‘The Rooster’
Phoenix Raei (Clickbait) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) have been set to star in The Rooster, a mystery-drama written and directed by actor Mark Leonard Winter. The Rooster follows small-town cop Dan (Raei). When the body of his oldest friend is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan seeks answers from a volatile hermit (Weaving), who was the last person to see his friend alive. Principal photography has just been completed on Dja Dja Wurrung country in the region of the Hepburn Shire in Victoria, Australia. Producers are Geraldine Hakewill and MahVeen Shahraki for her company Thousand Mile Productions. Executive producers include Susie Montague-Delaney, Patrick James and Michael Kantor. The film will be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Jonathan Page for Bonsai Films.
BBC Will Never Show Princess Diana Martin Bashir Interview Again, Says Dg
The...
Phoenix Raei (Clickbait) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) have been set to star in The Rooster, a mystery-drama written and directed by actor Mark Leonard Winter. The Rooster follows small-town cop Dan (Raei). When the body of his oldest friend is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan seeks answers from a volatile hermit (Weaving), who was the last person to see his friend alive. Principal photography has just been completed on Dja Dja Wurrung country in the region of the Hepburn Shire in Victoria, Australia. Producers are Geraldine Hakewill and MahVeen Shahraki for her company Thousand Mile Productions. Executive producers include Susie Montague-Delaney, Patrick James and Michael Kantor. The film will be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Jonathan Page for Bonsai Films.
BBC Will Never Show Princess Diana Martin Bashir Interview Again, Says Dg
The...
- 7/21/2022
- by Max Goldbart and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group is to be paid around $64M in damages from TV2 Danmark over an ad rebate dispute, settling a case that has been dragging for more than 15 years.
The settlement of 600M Swedish Krona, which Deadline has converted into dollars using a currency converter, is higher than Nent’s annual operating income for 2021.
The dispute concerned TV 2 Danmark’s use of rebates on TV advertising between 2001 and 2010.
The claim was filed on the basis of a 2005 ruling by the Danish Competition Council and eventually found that TV2 had abused its dominant position in the Danish advertising market by offering its adverting customers an annual rebate. This was deemed an infringement of competition law rules and was upheld by the Danish Supreme Court in 2011, causing Nent Group to suffer what it said were substantial losses.
This morning’s settlement was reached after “clarification of several fundamental legal issues,...
The settlement of 600M Swedish Krona, which Deadline has converted into dollars using a currency converter, is higher than Nent’s annual operating income for 2021.
The dispute concerned TV 2 Danmark’s use of rebates on TV advertising between 2001 and 2010.
The claim was filed on the basis of a 2005 ruling by the Danish Competition Council and eventually found that TV2 had abused its dominant position in the Danish advertising market by offering its adverting customers an annual rebate. This was deemed an infringement of competition law rules and was upheld by the Danish Supreme Court in 2011, causing Nent Group to suffer what it said were substantial losses.
This morning’s settlement was reached after “clarification of several fundamental legal issues,...
- 3/31/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
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