According to Mediavision’s latest Content Analysis, there is a growing demand for locally produced content among Nordic streaming viewers. In fact, consumer demand for local content is significantly higher than the supply available in the Nordics. With the past year’s economic downturn taking its toll on many local media companies, this gap is at risk to increase as local content productions are cut.
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 percent of all online viewing on curated on demand content. This excludes live sports, news, and social media content. However, the available streaming supply of local content is significantly lower than the demand. The share of local fiction and entertainment available on streaming services on the Nordic market is 6 percent.
As many actors have experienced a turbulent 2023, especially several locals, the number of new locally produced titles are at risk of being cut, consequently leaving viewers with even less new local content to enjoy. The economic circumstances will most likely mainly affect fictional content, as production costs for such titles are generally higher than for entertainment. Meanwhile, several global actors have communicated increased investment in Nordic content. However, the locals still account for the lion’s share of the 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, comments Hanna Ranby, analyst at Mediavision. 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.
These are the main topics this week:
- Viaplay enters TV partnership in the Netherlands and completes sale of UK business
- Allente launches streaming service with NonStop Entertainment
- Spotify expands audiobooks for premium users to several new markets
VIDEO
Viaplay enters TV partnership in the Netherlands and completes sale of UK business
Yesterday, Viaplay Group announced a new linear TV partnership in the Netherlands with media company Talpa Network. Starting this Friday 5th of April, Talpa Network’s linear TV channel SBS9 will be rebranded as Viaplay TV and show selected content from the Viaplay streaming service’s sports portfolio. Revenues from the partnership will be shared between Viaplay Group and Talpa Network.
Viaplay TV’s first live broadcast will be the second free practice session for the Japanese F1 Grand Prix, featuring Dutch driver Max Verstappen. April’s schedule also includes live Premier League football, highlights from the Chinese F1 Grand Prix and live PDC Premier League Darts in Rotterdam. All Viaplay sports content shown on Viaplay TV will also remain available in full on Viaplay in the Netherlands.
Viaplay made one more announcement yesterday. The sale of its UK direct-to-consumer business to SSBL Limited, trading as Premier Sports, has been completed and will take place tomorrow 4th of April. The proposed transaction was announced by Viaplay on 1st of December 2023 and has now received a final clearance from the Irish authorities.
Irish Premier Sports was the previous owner of Viaplay’s UK business, which comprises a streaming service and two linear TV channels. Current sports customer subscriptions will be automatically transferred to Premier Sports, and the sports content line-up remains unchanged.
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Insight: Nordic TV & StreamingThis analysis covers both the TV- and streaming markets in the Nordic countries. It rests on three pillars: the consumers, the market, and the actors. Analyzing the consumers takes us far – but not all the way. Studying the actors and the market as a whole is just as important. |
VIDEO
Allente launches streaming service with NonStop Entertainment
Nordic TV distributer Allente has announced the launch of a new streaming service together with film distributer NonStop Entertainment. The new service, byNonStop, is now available for Allente customers in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
NonStop Entertainment currently holds films such as Oscar-nominated Teacher’s Room, as well as the winner of Best Nordic Film at the Gothenburg Film Festival: Mother, Couch. At launch of byNonStop, the streaming service offers a curated catalog of films such as Lost Highway, The Capote Tapes and The Day After. According to the press release, the catalog on byNonStop will be updated every week.
“With the new product, byNonStop, we step into a world of timeless film classics and modern masterpieces, offering a selection tailored for the discerning cineaste. This exclusive service provides a specific range of high-quality films within three different niches: independent film, documentary, and genre film. We are more than proud to, together with Nonstop Entertainment, offer Allente’s customers access to this curated and delightful library of award-winning films, and we look forward to taking everyone who wants, on a journey through the wonderful world of film,” says Michael Bärlin, Chief Content Officer at Allente.
The content from byNonStop is now included in all satellite and fiber TV packages from Allente. For Allente Stream Flex customers, byNonStop is included in an optional streaming package together with Moonbug, Mezzo, Love Nature, Nordisk Film+ and BBC Nordic+.
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Content AnalysisThis analysis maps and analyses all on-demand content available on streaming services in the Nordics and its impact on consumption, actors, and market dynamics. It focuses on the interplay between supply and demand and thus provides a solid foundation for decision-making within content strategy and related areas. |
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X Premium subscribers to gain access to AI chatbot Grok
Dagens Nyheter raises its prices for print subscribers
JFM removes sponsored articles
Disney+ updates its logo
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AUDIO
Spotify expands audiobooks for premium users to several new markets
Spotify continues to expand its audiobook offering included in premium subscriptions. Beginning next week, on April 9th, Spotify Premium users in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand will have access to up to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.
The news comes alongside the expansion of Spotify’s audiobook catalog, which now consists of more than 250,000 titles. When first launched in Australia and the UK back in October last year, the catalog consisted of roughly 150,000 titles. One month later, when launched in the US, the catalog had grown to 200,000 titles.
Earlier this year, Spotify stated that its service was the second-largest audiobook provider in the US, after Amazon-owned Audible. Spotify has stated that premium users’ engagement with audiobooks has been high, though no specific figures has been revealed.
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Insikt LjudmarknadThis analysis provides in-depth understanding of the entire audio market – including audiobooks, music, podcasts, and radio. The analysis focuses on the digital transformation of both listening and consumer payments, on both aggregated and actor specific levels. |
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Google Podcasts to be shut down soon
Several podcasts join Podspace ad network
Bauer gets a new interim CEO
Over 200 artists sign open letter on AI in music
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Mediavision in the News
Primes intåg stöper om sportmarknaden – Svenska Dagbladet
Mediavision: Growing demand for local content in the Nordics – Broadband TV News
Därför blir streamingtjänsterna allt dyrare – och sämre – PC för alla
Mediavision: Ad-Supported SVOD Gaining Traction in the Nordics – Media Play News
Mediavision: Starkt intresse för HVOD i Sverige – Dagens Media
Efterspørgslen på nordisk tv-indhold stiger men udbuddet kan ikke følge med – Mediawatch
Sweden: Interest growing in ad-supported streaming – Advanced Television
Svenskar vill se mer svenskt på streamad tv – Sveriges Radio
Illegal affär kostar filmindustrin miljarder – Dagens PS
Var fjärde svensk strömmar olaglig tv – SVT
Kan bli det store gjennombruddet for denne typen TV-abonnement – Kampanje
Mediavision: Digitala ljudtjänster tar andelar på ljudmarknaden – Radionytt
Industry Events
MIPTV: 15-17 April 2024, Cannes, France
* Mediavision will attend
** Mediavision will present