Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) has expanded its Nordic UFC rights to Iceland until the end of 2021. Starting this weekend, UFC fans in Iceland can follow all the high-impact action from the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, including local welterweight hero Gunnar Nelson, live on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service. Viaplay has been hugely successful in Iceland since launching this spring, with more than 8% of the country’s households already subscribing to a Films & Series or Total (films, series, and sports) package.
Viaplay’s UFC coverage in Iceland will ring its opening bell on 30 August (local time) with UFC Fight Night: Smith Vs Rakic, headlined by former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith and Austrian wunderkind Aleksandar Rakić, with Neil ‘The Haitian Sensation’ Magny taking on previous welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in the co-main event. Every UFC event will be streamed live on Viaplay in Iceland this year, as well as preliminary cards when there is a Nordic athlete competing. NENT Group already holds the exclusive rights to UFC in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
A Viaplay Total subscription is priced at ISK 1599 (EUR 10) per month in Iceland. In addition to UFC, NENT Group holds the Icelandic rights to Formula 1, Bundesliga handball, Major League Baseball, WTA tennis, and NASCAR, as well as football from the Bundesliga, Superliga, Scottish Premiership, Eredivisie, Allsvenskan, Division 1 Féminine, French Cup, CONCACAF Nations League and the 2021 Copa América. Kim Mikkelsen, NENT Group Head of Sport, said: “Viaplay’s launch in Iceland has been very successful and we now have even more premium sports to offer. With over 300 million fans worldwide, UFC is the pinnacle of MMA and Icelandic fans will enjoy a front-row seat as Gunnar Nelson takes on the world with his black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and global superstars like Khabib Nurmagomedov continue to write UFC history. Viaplay is now the home of UFC in every Nordic country, and is without question the main event when it comes to live-streamed sports.”
David Shaw, UFC Senior Vice President, International and Content: “UFC has had a very successful partnership with NENT Group over the years, and we are thrilled to be adding Iceland to complete their Nordic coverage of UFC. We have some incredibly passionate fans in the Icelandic region, and we are looking forward to bringing them some blockbuster events in the coming months.”
NENT Group has the rights to show more than 50,000 hours of the world’s best live sporting action every year on its streaming services and TV channels. The company’s rights portfolio includes NHL, KHL, and IIHF ice hockey, UEFA Champions League and UEFA EURO 2020, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, the world’s three leading women’s football leagues, Copa América 2021, Formula 1, IndyCar, NFL American football, boxing, UFC, tennis, basketball, handball, and golf. NENT Group will also be the Nordic home of FIS winter sport from 2021.
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