Streaming service Viaplay is working on a cheaper subscription with advertisements. The company confirmed this when presenting its quarterly figures. The subscription should be released in the first countries this summer, but few details are known yet.
Viaplay confirms the arrival of the subscription in its quarterly report. The company does not say how much it will cost or exactly when it will be available. The subscription with advertisements will first be available in the Scandinavian countries, CEO Jørgen Madsen Lindemann said in a conference call with shareholders. However, the company sees 'no reason' not to expand that subscription to other countries, the CEO said after being asked whether the subscription with advertising would also come to the Netherlands.
Viaplay had 4.85 million subscribers in the first three months of this year, according to the company's quarterly figures. The number of subscribers has therefore fallen by 20 percent compared to the same period in 2023. In the meantime, the streaming service has withdrawn from various markets, which can at least partly explain the subscriber decline.
The Swedish streaming service is also temporarily bringing back its cheaper annual subscription. Users can take out an annual subscription from April 30 to May 21 for 13.79 euros per month. The annual subscription was canceled last year. Only the more expensive monthly subscription remained.
A subscription to Viaplay will soon become more expensive, the streaming service announced earlier this year. From May 22, the price for a monthly subscription in the Netherlands will increase from 16 to 18 euros per month. From the summer onwards it will no longer be possible to share an account with other households.
Viaplay has been experiencing financial problems for some time. The company has withdrawn from several markets and was even on the brink of bankruptcy. After implementing a financial restructuring plan, it decided to focus on its 'core activities' in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the company is best known for having the rights for F1 competitions. Earlier this month, rumors emerged that Viaplay will retain those rights in the Netherlands until 2029, but Viaplay has not yet confirmed this.