Viaplay, TV3 Group enter Baltic deal
February 1, 2024
Viaplay Group and Baltic media company TV3 Group have signed an agreement covering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Viaplay’s full live sports portfolio now available in the Baltic region will be sublicensed to TV3 Group’s streaming service Go3, with direct Viaplay subscribers in the three countries to be transferred to Go3 during March.
On December 1st 2023, Viaplay Group announced its intention to exit the Baltic markets by summer 2025.
Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, Viaplay Group President and CEO, commented: “This is the right step for Viaplay Group’s business and for our sports viewers across the Baltic region. It enables us to sharpen our operational focus even further on the Nordics, Netherlands and Viaplay Select, which are the markets where we see the best conditions for growth and profitability, as well as on Poland, where we will operate until mid-2025. At the same time, our sports content in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be available through a well-established platform operated by a local group.”
Viaplay noted the deal will not impact the previously reported negative cash effect of approximately SEK 2.2 billion relating to the group’s exit from its non-core international operations over the coming years.
Viaplay Group’s sports rights in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania include Premier League, UEFA Champions League and men’s national team football, Formula 1, NHL and more. All sports content will remain available on Viaplay until the subscriber transfer to Go3 is completed. Viaplay’s original non-sports content will become available on third-party platforms in the Baltic region as and when agreements are signed, either through content sales or Viaplay Select partnerships.