ViaPlay will be the IHF handball live broadcast site in 10 countries until 2031

• More than 40 IHF events will be broadcast live on Viaplay over the next nine years
• The agreement guarantees all men’s and women’s IHF World Championships until 2031
• Viaplay’s European presence covers many of the best handball countries in the world

The Viaplay Group and the International Handball Federation (IHF) have agreed a major partnership that will make the live streaming service Viaplay the home of hugely popular IHF competitions in 10 European countries until 2031. Exclusively on Viaplay in the coming years, including all IHF tournaments Global for ladies and gentlemen to come. The agreement covers Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, the Netherlands, the Baltic states and Great Britain – a presence that includes many of the world’s leading handball countries.

The agreement guarantees the IHF World Men’s Championships in 2023 (host countries are Poland and Sweden), 2025 (host countries are Croatia, Denmark and Norway), 2027, 2029 and 2031; and the IHF Women’s World Championships in 2023 (host countries are Denmark, Norway and Sweden), 2025 (host countries are Germany and the Netherlands), 2027, 2029 and 2031.

A large number of matches, including every match played by teams from the Viaplay markets, will be shown, with local commentators and world-class studio programming.

In addition, Viaplay now owns the rights to the following four IHF Women’s (U20) and Youth (U18) championships; The next five IHF junior (U-21) and youth (U-19) championships; the IHF World Beach Handball Championships for men and women in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030; and the annual IHF Beach Handball World Tour. Partnered by SPORTFIVE.

Peter Nørrelund, Chief Sports Officer, Viaplay Group: “This important agreement ensures that Viaplay will deliver the best handball in the world to many of the sport’s biggest markets throughout this decade and beyond. Denmark are the reigning men’s world champions, and four-time winners Norway are the undisputed queens of the women’s game. Several upcoming IHF tournaments are taking place on the home soil of our millions of viewers, which will increase local interest even more. These are the basic rights that have now been secured for many years in Viaplay.”

Dr. Hassan Mustafa, President of the IHF: “We are pleased to announce the collaboration of the IHF with the Viaplay Group. Thanks to our partnership with SPORTFIVE, the official partner of the IHF for TV rights and marketing, we have been able to achieve this agreement that makes it possible to spread interest in handball to more countries and people, not less, with guaranteed quality and for a long time to come.”

Karsten Mahlmann, Vice President of Media, SPORTFIVE: “Viaplay is one of the world’s fastest growing live broadcasters, a company dedicated to playing real handball. With this long-term agreement, the IHF World Senior, Junior, Youth and Beach Handball Championships gain a reliable broadcast partner “The world’s best handball competitions in some of the most important handball markets, as well as in the growing European handball countries. At the same time, the sport gets a professional and high-level platform. We are proud to have brokered this distinguished partnership.”

The Viaplay Group previously acquired the Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish rights to the men’s and women’s IHF World Championships in 2023 and 2025 through a separate agreement.

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Information for the editor

Viaplay Group AB (publ) is the international provider of entertainment. Viaplay’s streaming service is available on a direct-to-consumer basis in all of the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK, and we’re expanding rapidly with launches in the US and Canada in 2023. Every day we entertain millions of customers by viewing our unique content, which includes Acclaimed Viaplay Originals and a unique selection of premium live sports. In addition, Viaplay’s storytelling is made available to partners around the world through Viaplay Select’s innovative branded content concept. From broadcasting to TV channels, radio stations and production companies, our goal is to tell stories, connect with people and broaden perspectives. Viaplay Group is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm (“VPLAY B”).

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