Viaplay Select Heads to Australia

Viaplay Group has clinched a deal with SBS to bring the curated Viaplay Select service to Australian audiences.

The Australian deal follows similar alliances with DMD’s CINDIE service in Latin America and WOWOW in Japan. Viaplay Select is the company’s proposition for markets where it is not focusing on a direct-to-consumer presence. The multiyear deal will bring a selection of Viaplay content to the SBS On Demand streaming service, beginning today. The lineup includes a range of Nordic Viaplay originals across series, films and documentaries. Other Viaplay originals and third-party Nordic series and features are also part of the offer, with a selection of English-language originals to be available in due course.

Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group’s senior VP and head of acquisitions, content distribution and partnerships, noted: “Viaplay Select is a compelling concept that helps our partners stand out in today’s competitive global streaming market. Nordic storytelling attracts audiences everywhere, and our Viaplay originals deliver it better than anyone. Australia and the Nordic region may be on opposite sides of the globe, but top-quality drama is a universal language, and we’re delighted to share our stories with millions of SBS On Demand viewers through Viaplay Select.”

Kathryn Fink, director of television at SBS, added: “SBS has long been a pioneer of premium Nordic programming in Australia. Viaplay originals like Wisting and Darkness: Those Who Kill are already among SBS On Demand’s most-watched series. We’re thrilled to partner with Viaplay to showcase even more of the best programs from around the world and reinforce SBS’s reputation as a leader in international drama, while meeting the growing appetite of Australian audiences for global storytelling.”

Viaplay’s direct-to-consumer offering is available in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Poland, the Netherlands and the U.K., and will launch in the U.S. and Canada in the first quarter of 2023.