Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group), C More Entertainment and VGTV will join the Fund on January 1st, 2020, which will bring the total number of Nordisk Film & TV Fond financing partners to 22.
Press Release: Oslo, June 14, 2019
To download the full press release CLICK HERE.
NENT Group operates the Viaplay and Viafree streaming services, the Viasat pay TV platforms and channels, free-TV and radio networks, and a wide range of production companies.
C More Entertainment is a digital TV and streaming service in the Nordic region, part of Bonnier Broadcasting. It is also Bonnier’s third TV operator to join Nordisk Film & TV Fond, after TV4 Sweden and MTV Finland.
VGTV is one of Norway’s leading web-TV channels, part of the Schibsted-owned VG.
The participation of NENT Group/Viaplay and C More Entertainment in Nordisk Film & TV Fond was facilitated by the Fund’s new agreement structure for 2020-2024, which allows pan-Nordic subscription-based streaming services (SVOD) to enter the exclusive Nordic partnership.
Petri Kemppinen, CEO at Nordisk Film & TV Fond said: “I am extremely pleased that three new partners wanted to join Nordisk Film & TV Fond, two of them pan-Nordic players and one a high-profile channel in the documentary sector, making the total number of our partners 22 as of 2020. This reflects the fast change in the distribution of content in the Nordics and hugely increased investments by private actors. The new financing structure of the Fund also means that we will be able to pursue our mission of financing and promoting quality films, documentaries and TV dramas with an increased budget.”
Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, NENT Group EVP & Viaplay Chief Content Officer said: “High quality Nordic content is very important to our customers: last year, 7 of the 10 most watched new series on our streaming service Viaplay were NENT Group original productions. These stories both set us apart from regional and global competitors and are much appreciated internationally, with nearly half of our own series already sold around the world. As we raise our ambitions even higher and look to premiere at least 20 new originals every year, joining Nordisk Film & TV Fond is a natural step forward for NENT Group.”
Åsa Sjöberg, Director of Content at Bonnier Broadcasting said: “Becoming a member of Nordisk Film & TV Fond means that C More can continue to invest heavily in original local drama, a crucial part in our on-going journey as the fastest growing streaming service in Sweden. Looking ahead, C More, as well as TV4 and MTV strive to strengthen the Nordic voice in a fierce global competition, together with Nordisk Film & TV Fond and the Nordic creative industry.”
Hans Andreas Fay, VGTV Head of Acquisition said: “We are thrilled to be joining Nordisk Film & TV Fond. This underscores our commitment to the Nordic documentary film community, and will position us as an even stronger force within this strong field of Norwegian broadcasters. We see the partnership in the Fund as a natural next step in giving the Norwegian audience the best selection of documentary content, in which Nordic docs play a vital role.”
About NENT Group
NENT Group, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘NENT A’ and ‘NENT B’), is set to launch a minimum of 20 original productions every year. Some of the 40+ original dramas that have been announced include ALEX, Stella Blómkvist, The Lawyer, The Inner Circle, Hidden, Conspiracy of Silence and the recently announced Shadowplay, Cryptid, and Face to Face.
About C More Entertainment
Stockholm-based C More Entertainment is part of the Nordic media group Bonnier Broadcasting, parent to the Swedish commercial channel TV4 and Finnish MTV. For over 20 years, TV4 has held Sweden’s largest viewership in all age groups between 15 and 64. The digital TV and streaming service C More is available in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. It offers a wide range of content including film, series, sports, kids content and live-TV channels. In 2017 C More premiered its first original series Missing. Since then, the group has increased its volume of original shows to more than a dozen per year. Premium series include all-time favourites Beck, Gåsmamman, Solsidan, as well as Farang, Modus, Greyzone, and Moscow Noir.
About VGTV
Oslo-based VGTV is fully-owned by Schibsted’s news media house VG, used by approximately half of Norway’s population on a daily basis.
Since its launch in 2013, VGTV has become Norway’s leading web-TV channel, with around 450,000 unique daily visits. The company produces and distributes breaking news, entertainment, as well as documentaries, which consists of more than 400 titles such as Point & Shoot, Searching for Sugarman, Magnus. It has an informal, engaging and edgy profile, which communicates to the young adult target group.
About Nordisk Film & TV Fond
Oslo-based Nordisk Film & TV Fond was established in 1990. The Fund’s primary purpose is to promote film and TV productions of high quality in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, by providing top-up financing for feature films, TV-fiction/series and creative documentaries. The Fund also supports cross-border distribution in the Nordic region, cultural and training initiatives.
Nordisk Film & TV Fond administrates the prestigious Nordic Council Film Prize and co-organises the annual Nordic Talents event in Copenhagen. The Fund is also the main sponsor of the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for Outstanding Screenwriting of a Nordic TV drama.
Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s funding partners in 2019 comprise the Nordic Council of Ministers, the five Nordic film institutes and 13 broadcasters in the Nordic region.