There is currently a lot of competition for the broadcasting rights of Formula 1 in the Netherlands. Viaplay has owned the broadcasting rights in the Netherlands since 2022, but there is currently a battle between Ziggo and Viaplay for the broadcasting rights from 2025. While Ziggo was previously in pole position, Viaplay now appears to have the upper hand.
Last week there were already rumors that Ziggo had won the battle. Ziggo had the broadcasting rights until 2021, and now hoped to strike again. The Dutch company hoped to benefit from the financial turmoil at the Scandinavian Viaplay in recent years. Viaplay was still worth more than four billion dollars at the beginning of 2022, and had already plummeted to a market value of $1.7 billion by June 2023.
Then came the real crash of the company, with a value of only 270 million dollars as a low point, in February 2024. Viaplay is now recovering, after a financial injection and debt restructuring, with a market value of 400 million dollars now. In 2023, Viaplay posted a loss of $900 million.
Viaplay announces new collaboration
However, Viaplay started April with a striking message: after a few weeks of recovery, the company announced a partnership with Talpa. As a result, SBS9 will be transformed into Viaplay TV, broadcasting Formula 1. Real fans don’t gain much from this, because the most important sessions are broadcast with a delay or by means of a summary, but the collaboration with Talpa is a fact.
“It was fantastic news for Talpa and for Viaplay,” Woerts reports Today Inside. The news comes at a time when broadcasting rights are expected to be granted from 2025. Given the new partnership that Viaplay has entered into, it seems like good news for the rights holder of Formula 1 images in the Netherlands when it comes to 2025, Woerts also realizes.
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“It is not yet known, that will be announced later,” Woerts continues. ‘You would say that you would not enter into this collaboration if you did not obtain the rights, so with a high degree of probability you can assume that Viaplay will acquire the rights. That will soon be determined by the FOM, Formula One Management, but the chance is very high.’
Woerts has previously acquired rights for Viaplay
Chris Woerts has been even better informed since the collaboration with Talpa Network: the sports marketer purchases the broadcasting rights of sports content for Talpa Network, and will therefore know very well what the current situation is. Woerts most likely played a leading role in the collaboration between Talpa and Viaplay. Hélène Hendriks added last Friday Today Inside, where Woerts is a regular guest: ‘Of course Formula 1 will remain with Viaplay.’
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