Netflix sees itself as an integral part of the Nordic industry ecosystem

The message from the international streamers has become almost too familiar: local stories, local talent, and greater investment in Nordic production.

But this year’s conversation at CPH TV Festival, attended by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, suggested something new: converging views in several areas.

Three major players, Netflix Nordic, HBO Max and Prime Video, are becoming more open to collaboration, flexible financing and the potential for Nordic series to travel across borders, they revealed at the Tivoli Congress Centre in interviews conducted by Christian Rank, Managing Director & Producer at Miso Film Sweden.

Netflix, HBO Max and Prime Video share many views on the Nordic market and scripted ambitions. The streamers broadly agreed that Nordic scripted content has a growing cross-border potential while remaining rooted in local markets. They expect more collaboration and flexible financing models, with series travelling across platforms and enjoying longer lives.

“As always, we commission scripted for each Nordic market – a show needs to belong somewhere – but very recently we have noticed an interesting trend. There is a growing appetite among Scandinavian viewers for watching each other’s shows,” said Jenny Stjernströmer Björk, Vice President, Content, Netflix Nordics.

“Prime Video’s initial Nordic launch focused on non-scripted, which is easier to get off the ground, but the crime thriller Snake Killer (Slangedræber) in 2026 and soon Murder in the Dark – with A-list talent – demonstrate our ambitions and direction,” said Emilia Widstrand, Head of Nordic Originals at Prime Video.

All three are becoming clearer about their Nordic brand profiles and positioning, particularly Netflix, which has been in the market since 2012.

“Today, headquartered in Stockholm, we see ourselves as deeply embedded in the entire Nordic ecosystem and industry. We are trying to be a good partner in all aspects of the industry,” Stjernströmer Björk said.

Although the HBO brand is synonymous with high-end, character-driven drama, its profile has recently faced challenges amid changes in the international business.

“The HBO brand represents strong, creative, character-driven drama, which is what HBO Max Nordic pursues, as we will shortly greenlight our first scripted projects,” said Pil Gundelach Brandstrup, GVP, Originals Streaming, Nordic, HBO Max, who now heads Nordic streaming, and reports to WBD in Los Angeles.

Netflix, HBO Max and Prime Video rejected the common perception that programming and development are dictated by powerful algorithms.

“Yes, data enhances creative decisions and assists us in learning from previous launches, but creative decisions throughout the entire process – story, cast – are based on human intuition and local expertise and experience,” said Zire Schucany, Netflix’s Nordics Manager, Series.

Prime Video acknowledges that the streamer skewed towards a male audience for several years, but Widstrand said this was not driven by programming algorithms.

“Men found us faster a few years ago, but now some of our scripted and non-scripted shows are drawing in more females. We do deliberately seek scripted shows that offer a female point of view.”

However, the streamers have somewhat different approaches to commissioning and financing, partly reflecting how long they have been established in the Nordic markets.

“We can’t fully fund the numerous projects we are involved in, and more than ever we seek to complement our slate through all kinds of collaborations; for example, various licensing deals and feature films going to Netflix after theatrical release,” Stjernströmer Björk said.

“Prime Video is open to practically every model on scripted shows, depending on the project. We do fully funded Amazon Prime Originals, but we also partner with broadcasters; for example, we have worked closely with TV 2 Norway on Rinnan, a thriller about collaborator Henry Rinnan. Or we may invest locally and then sell off international distribution,” Widstrand said.

Looking two to three years ahead, the three streamers pointed to broader changes in the Nordic production ecosystem.

“One of the biggest future challenges that the entire industry should take responsibility for is attracting young talent to the business. Next, we must maintain a vibrant, ambitious financing climate with bold commissioners,” Stjernströmer Björk said.

“I hope that everyone will gradually be more open to collaborations and that projects will enjoy longer lives on different platforms,” Widstrand said, adding that she expects a much broader repertoire on Prime Video three years from now.

“In a few years, we will present two scripted shows annually, typically medium-budget projects, in Sweden and Denmark – and similarly in Norway – which must challenge the boundaries of TV genres,” Brandstrup said.

The CPH TV Festival that was organised by the Danish Producers’ Association, is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.