NENT Group Sets New Pacts with NBCU, MGM

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) and NBCUniversal (NBCU) have extended their long-term exclusive content partnership in a multiyear deal, while a separate pact has now been struck with Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM).

New films from NBCU will reach viewers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland first on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service and Viasat pay-TV channels, along with an extensive range of popular NBCU library titles. A broad selection of NBCU’s TV series will also be available on NENT Group’s free-TV channels.

The lineup of new and upcoming films includes Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Fifty Shades Freed, Lady Bird, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Paddington 2, Minions 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2. A wide array of classic TV series and films from NBCU’s extensive library will also be available on Viaplay and Viasat. Selected new and library NBCU films will be shown on NENT Group’s free-TV channels, along with reality series such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Viewers can also continue to access content from NBCU’s pop culture channel E! via NENT Group’s streaming and IPTV services.

Meanwhile, NENT Group and MGM have entered into a three-year deal that secures the studio’s library of movie hits and a range of new TV series for the Viaplay streaming service and Viasat pay-TV channels. The deal includes the 25th instalment of the James Bond films, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Daniel Craig, and the 24 preceding James Bond movies. The deal also includes the upcoming MGM TV series Perpetual Grace LTD and Four Weddings and a Funeral. In addition, MGM will co-produce and globally distribute three NENT Group original productions outside Scandinavia.

For the next three years, NENT Group’s Viaplay and Viasat platforms will be the exclusive Nordic first-window homes of the MGM film slate. Viaplay customers will be the first in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland to stream Tomb Raider and The Girl in the Spider’s Web, as well as classics such as The Hobbit, Rocky, RoboCop, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma & Louise and John Wick.

Anders Jensen, NENT Group’s president and CEO, said: “Our platforms are the unrivalled home of the best entertainment experiences anywhere in the Nordic region. In particular, the outstanding breadth and reach of Viaplay’s streaming offering—which spans international films and series, live sports, kids content and our original productions—means we’re not just investing in trends but setting the standard. NBCUniversal tells some of the world’s most recognisable stories, and renewing our long-term partnership is fantastic news for our customers as NENT Group continues to create something truly unique.”

Belinda Menendez, president and chief revenue officer for NBCUniversal Global Distribution and International at NBCUniversal, added: “We are delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with NENT Group and continue to partner with them to bring our extensive catalogue of hit films and television programmes to viewers across the Nordics.”

Jensen commented: “Setting ourselves apart by working together—this remarkable agreement sums up NENT Group at our very best. Partnerships are at the heart of our vision to become the leading Nordic streaming service provider and content producer with a global appeal. MGM is a legendary studio that needs no introduction and we are delighted to work together. Our cooperation secures some of the world’s most attractive films and series for NENT Group’s customers, while giving even more of our original productions the opportunity to be seen by audiences around the globe.”

Chris Ottinger, MGM’s president of worldwide television distribution and acquisitions, said: “We are incredibly excited about our new relationship with NENT Group. Both companies are bringing their best content to the partnership in a new model of collaboration in international television.”