Banijay Rights has signed a package deal with Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) ahead of the launch of its Viaplay streaming service in the U.S. on Dec. 15.
The deal will give Viaplay subscribers in the US access to a dozen of premium scripted titles from Banijay Rights’ hit Nordic drama titles, including Norwegian culture-clash comedy “Countrymen” which won two prizes at Canneseries last month, and “A Class Apart,” a drama series from Banijay Swedish label Jarowskij.
“A Class Appart” is set at Sweden’s top ranked boarding high school which is home to a secret society for the most affluent students, the Zebra Club. “Countrymen” sees four men with dubious plans move to a farm in the rural Norwegian countryside where, more or less against their will, they end up as the founders of Norway’s first halal cheesemaking business. The series is produced by Banijay Norwegian label Rubicon for public broadcaster NRK i, co-production with Arte France. Both shows will make their U.S. debut on Viaplay.
“Our catalogue contains a stunning range of premium stand-out Nordic titles including Norwegian sensation ‘Countrymen’ and Swedish drama ‘A Class Apart,’ and we are thrilled to be working with NENT Group to ensure this package deal will become a cornerstone of Viaplay’s launch in the US,” said Matt Creasey, Banijay Rights’ EVP of sales, acquisitions and coproductions who brokered the deal.
Other Banijay Rights titles set to land on Viaplay in the U.S. includes the series “Black Lake” and “Dystopia;” seasons one to five of crime drama “Gåsmamman;” the first two seasons of Swedish science fiction drama “Real Humans,” “Solsidan;” “The Councilman;” and “The Sandhamn Murders,” among others.
In the US, Viaplay will also show the first two seasons of Swedish crime sensation “Wallander” from Banijay label Yellow Bird; and seasons one and two of Wallander UK which Yellow Bird co-produced along with Left Bank Pictures.
Viaplay, which ranks as Scandinavia’s leading streamer, will launch in the U.S. under a partnership with Comcast.
More than 1,100 hours of subtitled premium Nordic entertainment will be included in the offer. The service will be initially available on Comcast’s Xfinity platforms as an add-on subscription, priced at $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
