NENT’s Viaplay announces Google Home integration

Viaplay will be compatible with Google Home and Google Home Mini when the smart speakers launch across Scandinavia later this month, the streaming service’s parent company has announced.

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) said that linking a Viaplay account to a Google account in the Google Home app will allow users to control Viaplay on a Chromecast or Android TV, using voice to launch content and control playback.

Google Home is due to roll out in Scandinavia on October 24 and will be the first smart speaker to respond to voice instructions in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.

“Voice search using smart speakers is one of today’s biggest consumer trends, there hasn’t been such a rapid adoption of a new technology since the smartphone,” said Kaj af Kleen, NENT Group’s senior vice president and chief technology and product officer.

“NENT Group is all about driving innovation and bringing audiences the very best entertainment experiences, so we’ve been exploring how best to use voice activation for our services and are very pleased to team up with Google for this pan-Scandinavian launch.”

NENT Group senior vice-president and head of Viaplay and Viafree, Alexander Bastin, added: “We want to make Viaplay as accessible and available on as many platforms and screens as possible. This partnership will enable our customers to enjoy their favourite content by using voice commands in their own language for the very first time, which shows the huge potential of combining great content with great technology.

“We’re looking forward to being at the forefront of the voice revolution, and will continue to explore how smart speakers can further enhance the Viaplay experience.”