[1andrew1]

Those who uncritically soak up the spin of Silicon Valley streaming sports should skip the penultimate paragraph.

Premier League’s pay-TV model is on borrowed time

The first tender for broadcast rights in six years will test demand as costs for UK consumers have continued to soar

...Germany’s Bundesliga and Serie A in Italy have both raised the prospect of launching their own streaming services to deliver games directly to consumers, something Spain’s La Liga already does for UK-based viewers.

A big test of where things stand will come later this year, when the Premier League tenders domestic broadcast rights for the first time in six years. Ligue 1 in France and Serie A will also hold TV auctions.

Hopes that Silicon Valley’s streaming platforms will come to the rescue with big offers seem disconnected from the realities of a chastened tech industry. Pay TV companies are in retrenchment mode.

The captains of the football industry need to think big if they are to keep the pirates at bay.

https://www.ft.com/content/26833e1b-...7-6049b37375bf

---------- Post added at 14:56 ---------- Previous post was at 14:49 ----------

Is Viaplay viable?

Swedish streamer Viaplay ousts chief and issues profit warning

Shares in company styled as rival to Netflix and known for Nordic drama plunge by more than 60%

Swedish streaming service Viaplay has ousted its chief executive, warned of a loss this quarter and scrapped its forecasts, sending shares in the group that bet heavily on a mix of football and Nordic noir drama down by more than 60 per cent.

It bought expensive sporting rights — something US streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Max have avoided — with the aim of sparking international growth.

Analysts said the shares could find a floor if the market valued Viaplay’s business outside its home market — where it has expanded into the Netherlands, Poland, UK, US and the Baltics in the expectation of big growth — at zero.

https://www.ft.com/content/a899e14a-...7-69b961586f45
Company's own statement seems to be reproduced in this article: https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2023...-hits-viaplay/