Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group has increased its Viaplay subscriber targets for the year following on from a surge in interest due to the resumption of sporting events suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nent has increased its target of subscriber intake for its over-the-top Viaplay service from 400,000 to 600,000 in 2020. The Nordic media group had already seen a 23-per-cent increase in subscribers for the last 12 month period, taking the total number to 2.51 million.
It has a host of premium sports rights across its network in the Nordics, and was hit heavily when all of its live sport was suspended in March. Since the resumption of many football leagues, including the English Premier League and German Bundesliga, the OTT service has seen increased interest.
The number of streamed minutes from the first 12 Premier League matches back following suspension was up 23 per cent on the average number before the suspension.
From July, Nent will reintroduce full pricing for its sports channels in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. It has also resumed sports-rights payments including its payment for the 2019-20 seasons of the Premier League, Bundesliga and Danish Superliga.
This year the media group launched the Viaplay service in Iceland, and according to Nent, the launch has outperformed its expctations. It will launch Viaply in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania early next year.