Viaplay Group & CANAL+ Polska Ink Distribution Pact

Viaplay Group has secured a direct-to-home (DTH) distribution partnership in Poland with CANAL+ Polska that will make the Viaplay streaming service available to all of the pay-TV operator’s premium DTH subscribers across the country.

Further, Viaplay Group will sublicense selected Premier League matches to CANAL+ Polska for the next three seasons. The matches will be available on CANAL+ Polska’s channels from the beginning of August, when the new Premier League season kicks off.

The two top live Premier League matches per round will be available on CANAL+ channels. All matches from the Premier League season, which spans 38 rounds comprising ten matches in total, will be streamed live on Viaplay. In turn, CANAL+ Polska will sublicense up to two live matches per round from the popular Polish speedway league eWinner I Liga Żużlowa to Viaplay Group in Poland. The sublicensed speedway matches will also remain available on CANAL+ channels and services.

Kim Poder, Viaplay Group’s chief commercial officer, said: “Poland is a key market for Viaplay, and we want as many viewers as possible to try our unique service for themselves. This long-term agreement with one of Poland’s largest pay-TV operators will expand our addressable market significantly over the years to come, and is therefore an important step towards realising our high ambitions. It also brings our Premier League coverage to an even larger audience, while showcasing the quality of our sports broadcasts to fans in every part of Poland.”

Edyta Sadowska, CANAL+ Polska’s CEO and general director, said: “With the start of the upcoming season, two top matches of each round of the Premier League will continue to be able to be followed on CANAL+ channels, which is undoubtedly excellent news for CANAL+ customers. Thanks to the establishment of cooperation with Viaplay, we will also be able to offer our customers access to further unique content from many different categories. Furthermore, establishing cooperation with another such large partner is a confirmation of our ambitions and commitment to building the most complete and competitive offer of movies, series and sports on the Polish market.”