Viaplay & MTGx Services to Combine

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) is combining its Viaplay online pay-TV business with the MTGx accelerator to create a digital entertainment powerhouse.

The combined entity will be under the leadership of Rikard Steiber, MTG's executive VP and chief digital officer. Niclas Ekdahl, the current CEO of Viaplay, is leaving MTG to pursue new opportunities.

Launched in 2011, Viaplay is MTG's largest digital business. It offers hit movies, TV series and live sporting events from around the world. The service is available in all four Nordic countries, Russia and Ukraine. MTGx was launched in 2013 as a group-wide initiative to accelerate the pace of the company's digital innovation and expansion. MTGx is the enabling hub for the group’s digital planning and execution.

Steiber said: “Viaplay is our number one digital priority. It has shown tremendous growth as the pioneer in the subscription video on demand space with an unrivalled content offering of great movies, series, kids’ shows and sports. MTGx is our digital accelerator, so combining the powers of these two businesses will enable MTG to step up our combined digital development and explore new opportunities across all of our free and paid digital platforms. We have a fantastic team, unique content offering and a versatile platform on which to expand in both our existing and new markets. The future for us is all about creating engaging experiences that connect our viewers and users with the entertainment they love the most—on all screens, anywhere and at any time.”

Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, MTG's president and CEO, commented: “The opportunities here are tremendous as we generate more and more online traffic, see video drive internet usage and social media activity, advertisers commit more media spend online, and consumers opt for mobile, on demand and paid for video solutions. Our objective is clear: to be the leading digital video entertainer in each of our markets. Our priority is simple: to provide exciting, relevant and easy to access products. MTGx was established to drive and accelerate our digital development and Viaplay is our number one game changer, so now is the right time to maximise the combined potential of our technology, talent and content under Rikard’s leadership.

“I would also like to thank Niclas for his hard work and invaluable contribution to the establishment and expansion of Viaplay, and we wish him well for the future.”