Amazon Prime Video secures Viaplay content in Nordics as demand for local fare outgrows supply

Jana – Marked for Life (Source: Amazon Prime Video)

Amazon Prime Video has closed an exclusive deal with struggling Nordic streamer Viaplay to bring nine of the latter’s brand new TV series to its service in the Nordic markets, along with library content, from April.

In another sign of the shifting sands in streaming that are reviving licensing of content to third-parties, Prime Video has secured exclusive rights to series including the thriller Jana – Marked for Life, based on a popular book by Emelie Schepp; drama Bullshit, set in 1980s biker subculture in Copenhagen; and the second season of political crime thriller Furia. Prime Video customers in the Nordics will have access to this new content as part of their Prime Video subscription, included at no additional cost, from April 19.

The other shows coming to Prime Video from Viaplay are new scripted series The Commoner, The Fortress, In the Name of Love, Paradis City, Solo/Dancing Alone and Those Who Kill Season Four. The deal also includes library titles such as Couple Trouble, Furia Season One, Hammarvik, Honour and Occupied.

“This landmark deal with Viaplay aligns with our long-term strategy to invest in Prime Video Nordics, solidifying it as a premier entertainment destination. Combined with our Nordisk Film partnership, where we’re delivering the finest Nordic movies, we are now reinforcing our ongoing commitment to local content in the region,” said Martin Backlund, managing director of Prime Video Nordics.

“We’re excited to add these locally produced Original TV series by the best Nordic creators and featuring highly popular Nordic talent to our slate. We are constantly evolving and improving our selection of great series and movies, and we’re looking forward to delighting our customers with these fantastic titles,” said Andreas Hjertø, head of content, Prime Video Nordics.

Amazon said the deal would bolster its selection of popular TV series and movies, including global Amazon Original series like Reacher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, as well as local Nordic Originals such as LOL: Last One Laughing, Good Luck Guys, and Bingo & Julia.

Mediavision: demand for local content outstripping supply

News of Amazon’s Nordic deal comes as Nordic research outfit Mediavision revealed research highlighting the growing appeal of local content in the region.

According to Mediavision, consumer demand for local content is significantly higher than the supply.

Nordic online video viewers’ demand for local content grew in the fall of 2023 compared to the same period 2022. Local fiction and entertainment now account for 25% of all online viewing on curated on-demand content, according to the research outfit. This excludes live sports, news, and social media content.

However, Mediavion says that the available supply of local content is lower than the demand. The share of local fiction and entertainment available on streaming services in the Nordic market is 6%, it says.

Alluding to the challenges faced by local players including Viaplay, Mediavision said that the number of new locally produced titles are at risk of being cut further, while global actors have communicated increased investment in Nordic content.

However, it said, the locals still account for the lion’s share of local content supply.

“As the financial pressures persist, the production of local titles is at risk of declining in 2024, despite growing consumer demand. Much depends on how global actors are going to invest in Nordic productions going forward. In the wake of the economic strain, we have also seen several new production collaborations here in the Nordics, which alleviates the cost for individual actors, while catering to the substantial appetite for local content among the Nordic viewers,” said Hanna Ranby, analyst at Mediavision.