Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) announced plans to phase out its Viafree standalone VoD platform in favour of a new partnership with ViacomCBS's streaming service Pluto TV in Sweden, Denmark and Norway in 2022. They will combine the free, advertising-supported streaming TV (FAST) service with the biggest pan-Nordic AVoD platform, Viafree. NENT will serve as the platform's leading advertising sales partner.
Pluto TV will introduce the new FAST/AVoD platform of channels and on-demand programming, with both international and local content. Viewers will be able to watch Viafree domestic favourites such as "Paradise", "Luxury Trap" and "Familien fra Bryggen", alongside foreign programmes from ViacomCBS' library such as "The Hills", "Awkward", "MTV Unplugged" and "Catfish". There will also be content from different partners packaged in thematic channels such as Pluto TV Movie, Pluto TV Crime, Pluto TV History and Pluto TV Comedy, among others.
NENT CEO Anders Jensen said the partnership will be a "stronger way forward for Viafree" and will create "significant value" for all parties. Viewers can watch Viafree's most popular output as part of Pluto TV's broad FAST and AVoD offering, and they will offer advertisers “an even more attractive proposition”. Jensen said the partnership lets NENT concentrate on its Viaplay subscription video service, which it expects to have at least 12 million subscribers in 2025.
Raffaele Annecchino, CEO of VCNI, said the partnership with NENT will boost Pluto TV's growth internationally, and VCNI expects to replicate this strategic model on every key international market. Combining its global content pipeline and Pluto TV's platform with NENT's advertising sales scale and with local Viafree output will position Pluto TV as "the leading player" in the growing FAST/AVoD sector, Annecchino added.
