By Jonathan Easton

Viaplay Group president and CEO Anders Jensen has met with European commissioner Thierry Breton to discuss the European audiovisual and streaming sector.

Viaplay said that the executive and the commissioner for the Internal Market of the European Union met in Brussels to discuss “the urgent need for supportive policy frameworks that create a more level playing field” for local companies that are seeking to be competitive with US streaming operators.

Viaplay is currently available in 10 European countries and the US, and will launch in the UK, Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland by the end of 2022. The company wants to have a market presence in at least 21 countries by the end of 2023, and is targeting approximately 12 million subscribers by the end of 2025.

Specific topics brought to the table of the discussion from Viaplay included  the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan, the European Media Freedom Act, and removing barriers to market entry and growth.

Anders Jensen, Viaplay group president and CEO, said: “Viaplay Group is a European success story. Our ongoing expansion shows the continent can produce streaming businesses capable of competing with global players.

“Meeting Commissioner Breton is an opportunity to discuss how businesses and legislators can work together to ensure Europe’s media sector can continue investing and innovating in ways that benefit everyone. I am very happy with the open and constructive dialogue in the meeting, which covered both opportunities and challenges.”