Nordic SVOD homes willing to pay more for local content

Half of Nordic SVOD households say they are willing to pay extra for a bigger supply of local movies and series, according to local research outfit Mediavision.

Almost half of all Nordic households with a paid streaming subscription, meaning SVOD subscribers, claim they would be willing to pay €1-3 more per month to gain access to a larger library of local movies and series.

Almost 25% of households say they would pay €3 per month to secure a more extensive supply of local content.

Among the streaming services, Apple TV+ stands out with a majority of its Nordic subscribing households willing to pay more for a larger supply of local content.

Mediavision points out that Apple TV+ has a relatively small library, compared with its streaming competitors, and is the only major service without any specifically Nordic content.

Locally produced fiction still represents a small share of the streaming services’ total content supply, according to Mediavision, meaning that it accounts for about 2% of the overall supply in terms of runtime.

Most of the global services have some Nordic content, but the bulk of locally produced fiction is commissioned by local services such as Viaplay, Cmore/TV4 Play and Discovery, says the research outfit.
“Several global streaming services have invested in Nordic content, but to a limited degree, comments Natalia Borelius, senior analyst at Mediavision. There are also indications that many actors are reconsidering their content budgets, following tougher market conditions. However, the high demand and willingness to pay for local content in the Nordics may be a driver to increase prices, combined with additional local content.

The findings make interesting reading in view of the recent problems of local SVOD platform operators Viaplay and Telia.

Earlier this month Viaplay Group’s CEO Anders Jensen resigned from the company, with economic headwinds battering the Nordic operator’s results and causing it to pull its long-term financial guidance.

In April, rival Telia revealed a loss of revenue in its TV and media department and unveiled plans to restructure its TV and Media business under the TV4 and MTV brands, phasing out pay TV unit C More.