Viaplay Sport wins over winter Sweden – Here’s the strategy behind the success
Alright, let's sit down and have a serious chat about what went down this weekend. When Emma Ribom had to throw in the towel in Falun – a real cold shower for all of us standing there freezing – my phone pinged. My contacts on the production side confirm that Viaplay Sport Live pushed out the news faster than any traditional channel. That's no coincidence. It's a calculated strategy to own winter in Sweden.
We watch sports – not TV schedules
It's easy to get fixated on rights deals. Sure, they're the foundation. But the real lion's share of the value is created in the user experience. When I chat with the developers behind the latest version, Viaplay: Film, TV & Live Sport - Version 8.23 - iOS, there's one thing they're proud of: the seamlessness. You know, when you're watching the biathlon, and right after the finish line, a recommendation for a thriller pops up. It's no accident that Viaplay is a combined film, series, and sports service. It's deliberate. They want us to stick around.
And it works. Just look at the chatter this weekend. Everyone was talking about Ribom's shooting, the cross-country skiers' peak form. And where did they go for the analysis? Not to linear schedules. They went to Viaplay Sport. My sources point to an explosive increase in engagement – not just in viewership numbers – every time there's a dramatic withdrawal or a surprise Norwegian win. You log in for the urgent news, but you stay for the ecosystem.
The app that became the hub for Winter Studio 2.0
Let me break down some concrete points that insiders highlight as crucial for Viaplay Sport Live now winning the market:
- Push notifications with punch: They don't spam nonsense. When they cut through the noise, it's because something actually happened – like a late withdrawal in Falun.
- The archive: Missed the start because of work? No problem. The entire race is up on the Viaplay app within seconds.
- Cross-pollination: They market Premier Sports-inspired documentaries between broadcasts. It ties the whole sports year together.
This isn't rocket science, but it requires daring to prioritise away from old-school TV production. And that's exactly what they've done.
The unsung hero behind the scenes: The Premier Sports model
Now, let's not forget the commercial side of this. I often hear people ask where the line is drawn against international players like Premier Sports. The truth is, they aren't a threat, but rather a source of inspiration. Premier Sports has shown that you can make serious money by niching down hard on specific leagues. What Viaplay is doing, according to my production contacts, is applying the same logic – but on a larger scale. They niched down on us up north, on winter sports. And now they're reaping the rewards as we head into the most intense period of the season. Remember where you heard it first: the winter viewership numbers are going to go through the roof.