MTG strikes online partnership with Tele2

By DTVE Reporter 2nd December 2014

Rikard Steiber

Modern Times Group (MTG) has struck a deal with Swedish alternative telco Tele2 that will see the latter offer MTG’s Viaplay online live and on-demand TV service to its 3.7 million mobile and mobile broadband subscribers.

Both new and existing Tele2 customers will have the option to include Viaplay in their subscription packages from the end of January.

MTG said the deal was the first of its kind involving third-party distributors, following agreements to include Viaplay on consumer platfodrms such as Samsung, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Chromecast.

“This deal is very positive for Viaplay, as we are now able to offer our great series, movies, sports, and kids content in more ways and to more people than before,” said Rikard Steiber, CEO of Viaplay.

“The demand for mobile data and streaming services is increasing and we look forward to offering our residential customers the best selection of series and films,” said Samuel Skott, head of customer and product design, Tele2 Sweden.

Separately, MTG has reached an agreement to extend its exclusive rights to the golf PGA European tour, the Ryder Cup, The World Golf Championships, the British Open Championship, the US PGA Championship, the LPGA and the Asian Tour in the Nordic and Baltic countries until the end of 2018.

The deal means that MTG’s Viasat Golf, which it says is the only dedicated golf channel in Northern Europe, and Viaplay will continue to show more than 1200 live hours/year of high-profile golf.

MTG has also agreed to acquire the exclusive rights for the Wimbledon grand slam tennis tournament for Denmark, also until the end of 2018. All rights are being acquired through IMG Nordic.

“I am delighted to announce the extension of the exclusive rights to show these key golf tournaments. We have saved our dedicated golf fans from the risk of boredom and we have once again delivered on our promise of offering the very best sports content to our subscribers,” said Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, MTG’s president and CEO.