By entering the Icelandic market, Viaplay is able to tap into one of the most connected countries in the world, where 75% households have 1Gbps fibre optic broadband speed, a level set to reach full territory coverage with at least 100Mbps speed by 2022. Almost the entire Icelandic population of 360,000 is also connected to mobile broadband, with 359,000 current mobile subscriptions. Details about the content package will be announced at a later date, but NENT Group said Icelandic customers will have access to Viaplay content via direct subscriptions and third-part partnerships. 

More than 1.4m viewers in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway already have access to Viaplay content. 

To accelerate decision-making and ensure a better strategic alignment across the business, NENT Group recently announced it will implement a new operating model starting October 1st.This includes the separation into three geographical units (the Nordics, central/eastern Europe, UK/US) of NENT Studios comprising 32 production companies in 17 countries, and the creation of skills hubs. 

Anders Jensen, NENT Group President and CEO said: “We have built Viaplay into the number one Nordic streaming service in our current markets, and we see a wider appetite for our unique combination of originals, international films and series, kids content and live sports. At the same time, our new organisational model will enable us to expand faster and more efficiently. Our cutting-edge technology is built to scale in a very cost-effective way, and Iceland’s technology leadership, thriving creative scene and highly connected society make it an ideal setting for Viaplay, which will now be available in every Nordic country.”

The company’s first Icelandic original, Sagafilm’s Stella Blómkvist, was commissioned with Iceland’s streaming service Síminn. The crime series was nominated for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize for Best Nordic TV drama screenplay in 2018.

With NENT Group originals driving its Nordic streaming service (eight of the 10 top performing series on Viaplay the second quarter 2019 were originals), the company’s ambition is to premiere a minimum of 20 originals every year.

The latest original series commissioning is season 2 of the Swedish comedy drama Love Me (Älska mig) created by actress Josephine Bornebusch for Warner Bros International Television. The six-part series follows the intersecting lives of three generations of Stockholmers and their experiences of friendship, grief and romance. At the centre is Clara (Bornebusch), a successful doctor whose ailing love life starts to revive when she meets Peter (Sverrir Gudnason). New actors in season 2 include Johan Ulveson (The Truth Will Out), Ia Langhammer (Miss Friman’s War) and Dilan Gwyn (Beyond). Season 1 will premiere exclusively on Viaplay October 11, 2019.