Global paying subscribers of streaming service Viaplay grew 60% in the year to March, rising to 7.643 million at the end of the first quarter. The company added 325,000 new subscribers in the traditionally quiet first quarter. The company reported organic sales growth of more than 30% for the first quarter, with net sales of SEK 4.537 billion.

Viaplay Nordic revenues, which account for 37% of group revenues, increased 36% year-over-year on an organic basis, while international revenues increased sevenfold and accounted for 15% of group revenues, compared to 3% in the first quarter of last year. While subscription revenues grew 11% and accounted for 29% of total sales, advertising revenues, which accounted for 19% of sales, decreased 2% due to economic conditions.

Losses from the international business stem from the acquisition of Polish Formula 1 rights, the launch of this service in the US and Canada, the increase of our UK operations and the Polish and Dutch ARPU mix. Viaplay’s accomplishments come with the launch of its streaming offering in the US and Canada and the launch of streaming Select offering for broadband partners launched in Canada, Austria and Germany, bringing the brand’s overall footprint to 33 villages.

The new subscribers for Viaplay

Viaplay now has over 2.9 million subscribers in the international markets where the service is available, an increase of 140% year-on-year. President and CEO Anders Jensen said it was on track to reach four million international subscribers by the end of the year.

Viaplay also added 113,000 Viaplay subscribers in the Nordics in Q1, which is in line with its ambition to add 400 million new subscribers in 2023 and reach a year-end target of five million subscribers. Jensen said Viaplay has adjusted prices in “nearly every market,” but that churn levels remain stable.

The company’s full-year guidance remains unchanged. Separately, has signed a new deal with Roku that makes the Viaplay streaming service available for subscription via Roku devices in the US, Canada and the UK. In December, Viaplay Group and Roku announced an agreement to add Viaplay to The Roku Channel‘s range of premium subscriptions in the United States.