Viaplay Group and Bell Media’s Crave streaming service have secured a deal to make premium Nordic content available to Candian audiences through Viaplay Select. The Viaplay streaming service will launch direct-to-consumer in Canada in early 2023. “This partnership with Crave gives Canadian audiences a great taste of what Viaplay is all about, ahead of our direct-to-consumer launch," Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group Chief Commercial Officer, North America & Viaplay Select said."Viaplay is the home of premium European storytelling that has both style and substance. In less than a year, Viaplay Select has already brought the best of Viaplay to 19 countries, and more are on the way in 2023.”
From 18 January, Crave subscribers can access a selection of critically acclaimed Viaplay films and series, with a focus on Nordic noir, along with curated third-party productions from the region. The agreement makes Canada the 19th market for Viaplay Select, the branded content concept launched by Viaplay Group in April 2022. “We’re delighted to offer Crave subscribers even more premium programming to explore," Justin Stockman, Vice President, Content Development and Programming, Bell Media said. "Viaplay’s original content is renowned around the world, and we’re pleased to join forces with Viaplay Group to introduce their uniquely gripping series and films to the Canadian market.”
The scripted Viaplay series available on Crave include the Nordic noir dramas ‘Face to Face’ starring Ulrich Thomsen (‘The New Pope’), ‘Furia’, ‘The Machinery’ with Kristoffer Jonar (‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’) and ‘Partisan’, winner of Best Series at the 2020 Canneseries festival. Nordic noir is high-quality, psychologically penetrating crime drama from the Nordic region – a style of screen storytelling of which Viaplay is a leading producer. Also coming to Crave are Viaplay’s highly rated young adult shows ‘Delete Me’ and ‘Threesome’; the popular comedy-dramas ‘Harmonica’, ‘Love Me’ and ‘Pørni’; and curated third-party features such as ‘The Emigrants’, ‘I Am Zlatan’ and Ronnie Sandahl’s ‘Tigers’, Sweden’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Alongside Crave in Canada, Viaplay Select has launched on WOWOW in Japan, CINDIE in nine Latin American countries, SBS in Australia, and Pickbox NOW in seven markets in Eastern Europe. Viaplay Select is focused on markets where local partners can benefit from Viaplay’s unique content pipeline. Viaplay’s direct-to-consumer offering is today available in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, and will launch in the US and Canada in the first quarter of 2023.