Nordic Entertainment secures winter sports rights

Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) has acquired the exclusive Nordic media rights to winter sports competitions from Infront Sports & Media. The five-year deal secures the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and FIS Cross Country World Cup for NENT Group’s platforms and channels.

Anders Jensen

From 2021, viewers of the Viaplay and Viafree streaming services, and Viasat pay TV and free TV channels will be able to watch live winter sports action from men’s and ladies’ FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, FIS Cross Country World Cup. FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, FIS Snowboard World Cup and FIS Freestyle Ski and Freeski World Cup, and the men’s FIS Nordic Combined World Cup. The deal also includes the FIS World Ski Championships in 2023 and 2025.

Anders Jensen, NENT Group president and CEO said: “This agreement is a major milestone for us. I consider it just as significant as the acquisition of the Ice Hockey World Championship rights in 1989 and the Olympic rights in 2011. From Stenmark, Kalla and Kirvesniemi to Bjørgen and Dæhlie and many more, winter sports have created some of the greatest Nordic sports stars of all time. This addition of winter sports to our platforms, especially Viaplay, once again reinforces NENT Group’s position as the undisputed home of world-class sports experiences in the Nordic region.”

Bruno Marty, Infront’s SVP of Winter Sports said: “Infront’s DNA is rooted in winter sports and we believe this new agreement goes a long way to securing their future. We know NENT Group will provide an unparalleled distribution across all platforms, delivering a top-quality broadcast on free and pay television and exploiting their vast OTT experience to showcase more of these sports to a far younger audience than ever before.”