Viaplay adds NHL and KSW rights ahead of UK launch

Viaplay will become home to the National Hockey League (NHL) and KSW mixed martial arts (MMA) in the UK when the service launches in that country.

Up to 1,400 NHL ice hockey will be shown on Viaplay every year until 2027, alongside 12 live events from the KSW promotion annually until 2025.

Viaplay will launch in the UK in the second half of this year with a streaming offering that combines live sports with premium original Nordic content.

From late 2022 through the 2026-2027 season, NHL fans in the UK will be able to stream all regular games live on Viaplay, including all NHL Saturday and NHL Sunday games, together with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stanley Cup Final and other marquee events, including the NHL Winter Classic, NHL All-Star Game, NHL Stadium Series, NHL Heritage Classic and NHL Global Series. The agreement extends Viaplay and the NHL’s partnership to 10 European markets.

Based in Poland, KSW live events feature top Polish and international MMA competitors. Viaplay and KSW are now working together in 11 countries, and the first KSW event shown on Viaplay in the UK will be in late 2022.

Peter Nørrelund, NENT Group chief sports officer, said: “We’re already expanding Viaplay’s UK sports line-up with more long-term rights that put us firmly on the map. We have worked with the NHL for 19 years in our Nordic markets, which proves the quality of our coverage. KSW is one of our fastest-growing partnerships and will be broadly available in the UK for the first time. These deals are great news for UK sports fans – and there’s more to come.”

David Proper, NHL senior EVP of media and international strategy, said: “Viaplay has been an outstanding partner and key stakeholder in the NHL’s strategy to deliver the game to as many fans as possible throughout the world. We look forward to building on our shared commitment to bring the world’s best hockey players to a broader audience and are thrilled to have expanded our relationship with Viaplay.”