Premier Sports

Premier Sports Launches Rugby Streaming in Canada

UK-based Premier Sports has launched a dedicated, subscription-only rugby streaming service in Canada charging CAD $30 per month for a consolidated library of international competitions. The service will carry every match from the men’s and U20 Six Nations, the new Nations Championship, and Super Rugby Pacific, with coverage beginning with the Six Nations tournament in February 2026. The launch targets passionate rugby fans but competes with established broadcaster TSN, which holds rights to national team matches and offers a cheaper digital package. The Canadian rollout is described as part of Premier Sports’ broader global strategy to build a rugby-focused media brand.

Amazon Ads Boosts Sports Streaming; Getty Powers AI Visuals

Amazon Ads announced a strategic integration with Premier Sports, enabling programmatic access to the broadcaster’s streaming inventory via Amazon DSP for UK audiences across Premier Sports’ portfolio, including LaLiga, the Scottish Premiership and Cup, on Prime Video and the Premier Sports app; a separate STV Player inventory expands reach. Amazon DSP now combines Premier Sports content with consumer signals, offering advertisers scalable access to engaged sports audiences. Getty Images and Perplexity signed a multi-year licensing deal to power Perplexity’s AI search visuals, with properly attributed images and source links delivered via API. The deal aligns with Getty’s push to support AI-generated creativity through licensed assets. Sky News, BBC, and ITN, joining the News Media Association, urged the CMA to crackdown on anticompetitive practices by tech platforms to curb misinformation and protect journalism.

Viaplay Recovery Focuses on Core Markets and Partnerships

Viaplay reports a solid start to 2024, signaling renewed momentum in its TV ad market. In Q1, the Nordic streaming group grew revenue by 6% year over year, aligning with peers MFE and ProSiebenSat.1 and reinforcing signs of ad-market life in Europe. Viaplay has pared back its international rollout, exiting the UK, Poland, and the Baltics to double down on core markets in the Nordics and the Netherlands. A recapitalisation programme was described as a key step toward profitability, and management expects to hit full-year targets despite ongoing headwinds from higher content costs, FX movements, and password sharing. To monetise more effectively, Viaplay is expanding distribution partnerships, sublicensing select sports and non-sports content to other broadcasters (e.g., Talpa TV in the Netherlands, with SBS9 rebranded as Viaplay TV) and selling its UK sports unit to Premier Sports. Plans include a new sports news channel and an ad-supported tier this summer, plus a longer-term push on ad inventory and account-sharing controls.