Viaplay promotes Cecilia Gave to EVP and head of sports

Cecilia Gave

Viaplay Group has promoted Cecilia Gave to EVP and head of sports, taking over from Peter Nørrelund who departs from the company after more than two decades.

Gave who most recently served as VP for sport production, joined the group in 2016 and has held various leadership roles. She starts the role effective immediately and will be based in Stockholm where she will be a part of the group executive management.

In her position, she will oversee the strategic development and coordinate the management of Viaplay’s sports operations across all relevant markets.

Gave’s other previous roles include VP and head of sports Norway and SVP and group head of Viafree, as well as head of operations for MTG Sport Sweden. She has also held managerial positions at Boxer TV, Titan Television and Schibsted, prior to Viaplay.

The sports rights portfolio is overseen by Anders Jensen, president and CEO, and managed by Rune Knudsen, SVP and head of sports Continental Europe & Baltics, and Edward Breeze, SVP and head of sports UK.

Jensen said, “I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Cecilia as our new head of sports. Cecilia brings a perfect mix of relevant experience and fresh new perspectives, vital to a fast evolving media industry. While we always strive to be the best at delivering sports experiences today, we must also stay ahead of the curve when it comes to developing our products to cater for new needs, new viewing behaviour and commercial opportunities tomorrow. Viaplay has a unique market position with a portfolio of top-class sports rights, combined with great live coverage and studios, now it is time to further leverage on these rights, drive growth and maximise their full potential in our markets. Cecilia’s extensive experience and leadership qualities make her the ideal choice to lead our sports department into the exciting future.”

“I am both humbled and honoured to take on the responsibility of leading Viaplay Group’s sports operations into the next phases of our journey. Over the years, our company has become synonymous with premium sports entertainment and I am excited to work even closer with our talented teams to continue strengthening our position and to elevate the viewing experience for sports enthusiasts and beyond even further,” added Gave.