The video service Viaplay of the Swedish company Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT) will start offering the broadcasts of Formula 1 in the Netherlands in March, after NENT obtained the rights for this last year. The normal subscription to the streaming service costs 13.99 euros per month, but KPN and Ziggo, among others, will offer Viaplay with discounts.
KPN announced today that new customers who switch to the company “can watch the entire Formula 1 season for free with Viaplay”. The first race of the new F1 season is on March 20. Existing KPN customers receive a discount on Viaplay. The introductory price is 9.99 euros per month, later it will be 13.99 euros. Customers who have both fixed internet and a mobile subscription with KPN receive a discount of 5 euros per month.
According to Jochem de Jong, director of partnerships at KPN, the interest in Viaplay is ‘very high’ among both existing and new customers. “We are pleased to welcome them with an attractive offer to kick off the new F1 season.”
Ziggo
According to a spokesperson, competitor VodafoneZiggo promises to announce more about Viaplay’s offer to its customers later today. In recent years, Ziggo Sport broadcast Formula 1, which was included for free for customers of the provider. Other Dutch providers have not yet provided information about their Viaplay offer.
English and German football
In addition to Formula 1, Viaplay in the Netherlands also has the rights to the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League (from August), PDC darts, Matchroom snooker and pool, and KSW mixed martial arts (MMA). Because Viaplay will only start in the Netherlands on March 1, the Bundesliga matches can currently be watched for free via YouTube for Dutch people.
In addition to sports, the new streaming service has a collection of films and series. New Dutch productions are also being worked on. The Netherlands is the eleventh country where Viaplay is launched. The streaming service is available on smart TVs, PCs, Macs, iOS, Android, Apple TV and Chromecast.
App by Olav Mol for live commentary
Viaplay has opted for other presenters and commentators than Ziggo for its Formula 1 broadcasts. The live commentary comes from Nelson Valkenburg and Melroy Heemskerk. Olav Mol, who has been beating F1 races for 30 years, is not part of Viaplay.
However, Mol will soon be launching an app with which his live commentary during the F1 races must be heard at the same time as the TV broadcasts. Mol has bought the audio rights for Formula 1 with its online channel Grand Prix Radio.
Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen recently concluded an exclusive deal with Viaplay, for which the driver will, among other things, participate in documentaries that should give an insight into his life. His father Jos Verstappen will also work as an analyst for the video service.
The Formula 1 races at Zandvoort will be broadcast by the NOS for the next three years.
