Agreement marks an important milestone in Veikkaus’ international strategy and supports its ambition to build a competitive consumer business beyond Finland
Veikkaus is set to launch its consumer-facing business outside Finland for the first time through a new commercial partnership with Nordic streaming service Viaplay.
The agreement with Viaplay’s Danish and Finnish divisions will see Veikkaus launch a new gaming brand, Viabet, in both markets from 1 July 2027.
The deal combines elements of Viaplay’s media content with Veikkaus’ expertise in gaming, technology, customer experience and responsible play.
“Viabet is a significant strategic step for Veikkaus and a concrete demonstration of how we are advancing our international growth ambitions,” said Veikkaus president & CEO Olli Sarekoski. “Through this partnership, we can build a differentiated offering, improve our competitiveness in the open market, and create a stronger foundation for scalable international consumer business based on Finnish expertise.
“This partnership is more than a single commercial agreement. It is a strategic investment in Veikkaus’ future.”
Viaplay operates a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform in Finland and Denmark and holds the broadcasting rights to some of the world’s biggest sports leagues, including the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, the Danish 3F Superliga, the German Bundesliga, NHL, and Formula 1.
Veikkaus plans to use it expertise in sports data and analytics to enrich Viaplay’s sports coverage with additional insights, giving viewers a deeper understanding of the sports they follow.
“From our very first meeting, it has been clear that Veikkaus has bold ambitions and the expertise to succeed in the Danish market, with responsibility at the heart of its plans,” said Viaplay Denmark CEO Lars Bo Jeppesen. “We are delighted that Veikkaus sees Viaplay as the right partner to support those ambitions, recognizing our strong portfolio of live sports and the programming around it, as well as our commercial approach to partnerships.
“Veikkaus’ launch of Viabet in Finland and Denmark brings this partnership to life, and we look forward to making it a success from July 1 2027.”
Viaplay Finland CEO Mikael Svensson added: “We already have a great partnership with Veikkaus in our Finnish sports production, and we look forward to expanding it through this new commercial agreement. We are proud to support Veikkaus’ ambitions for Viabet with our strong sports portfolio, production expertise and knowledge of the Finnish market.”
Veikkaus began its international journey through its B2B subsidiary Fennica Gaming in 2022, which currently provides digital gaming solutions to customers in 21 countries.
“The opening of the Finnish online gambling market creates a significant growth opportunity for Veikkaus,” said Jonas Reuter, executive vice president of international business. “We see clear international demand for our expertise, and Viabet allows us to turn that expertise into a scalable consumer business in selected markets. This is an important next step in our international expansion.”