Recently, news broke that men's Champions League football will move from Viaplay to Disney+ next year, at the same time as the American media giant is making a major investment in launching its sports brand ESPN in the Nordics.
Four services
Alongside the European top league, Allsvenskan is shown on TV4 Play, while Viaplay still has the Premier League; Prime Video broadcasts one English match a week.
"So it will take four services to watch the three leagues," says Olof Lundh, a long-time football journalist at TV4 and author of the book "The Last Campfire," which depicts the fight for sports TV viewers.
It's a lot of money per month to watch top sports. Viaplay's most expensive package without advertising costs 699 kronor, and TV4 Play charges the same for its equivalent package. Disney+ has not yet revealed how much its football subscription will cost, but Olof Lundh notes it will be more expensive for fans to follow their teams.
Football's choice - the money
Many voices have been heard, not least from political quarters, that everyone should be able to follow at least the national team's matches, but according to Olof Lundh, football has already chosen its path.
"I interviewed Niclas Carlnén, the new general secretary of the Football Association, recently and asked what they choose - reach or money? He was very clear that they choose money; that is what is important to them," says Lundh.
The world of television is undergoing a major transformation as more and more people choose social media instead of traditional television. But sports have retained their appeal and have become an important way for media companies to reach a large audience. As a result, the price of broadcasting rights has also skyrocketed, making it difficult for Nordic players like TV4 Play and Viaplay to compete with the big American giants.
But Olof Lundh also highlights another aspect.
"Viewers may not think much about it, but what's happening to journalism? Is Disney going to hire a bunch of sports journalists to cover sports, like Viaplay and we at TV4 have? I don't think they'll invest in it."
Allsvenskan and Superettan: TV4 Play (until 2031).
Premier League: Viaplay. Prime Video broadcasts 38 matches (through 2028).
Champions League, men: Viaplay. Disney+ takes over in 2027 (through 2031).
Champions League, women: Disney+. TV4 Play broadcasts 13 matches per season (until 2030).
World Cup 2026 and European Championship 2028, men: SVT and TV4 (through 2026).
Men's national team: Viaplay (until 2028).
Women's national team: SVT (until 2028).
World Cup 2027, women: SVT and TV4 (through 2027).
European Championship 2029, women: not determined.
