The ground-breaking deal between Danish telco TDC’s YouSee and the three Nordic players will secure greater cash for local films and TV dramas.

Quad-play YouSee said the signing of the strategic partnerships is meant to respond to the shift from linear to digital viewing, Danish customers’ hunger for quality content and greater flexibility in the combined TV and streaming offers.

“The TV and streaming market of the future requires new models for collaboration,” noted Jacob Mortensen, director of YouSee.

The main points of the partnerships are the following: 

The deal between YouSee and TV2 Denmark will allow them to join forces in the production of TV series that will be available exclusively both on YouSee and TV2’ online platform TV2 Play. Starting early 2020, TV2 Play and the new sports channel TV 2 SPORT X will be added to YouSee’s Bland Selv package of linear channels and streaming services. 

Sune Roland Jensen, Content Manager at TV 2 PLAY and TV 2 ZULU said: “YouSee is new to the content market, but has already shown great ability and ambition, with shows such as '29, 30, 31' and 'Sunday' and as a channel-owner with Xee [joint venture channel with Fox]. Danish fiction series in particular are a locomotive for streaming services such as TV 2 PLAY and Xee on demand - both in terms of consumption, retention of clients and attraction of new ones. It is an exciting prospect that we can now also collaborate with YouSee on the production side, to strengthen our content offerings to Danish viewers and users, with a clear local outlet." 

Meanwhile TV2 Charlie will replace Discovery Network Denmark’s Kanal5 in Bland Selv’s basic package.  

The deal between YouSee and Nordisk Film set to start next year is two-fold: it will allow YouSee’s TV and streaming clients to watch some of the biggest Danish films, such as Martin Zandvliet’s upcoming thriller The Marco Effect based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s fifth book in the Department Q series.

Furthermore Danish customers will have access to a large choice of mainstream international films, via Nordisk Film’s distribution partnerships with major players such as Lionsgate and Amblin Partners. 

Commenting on the deal, Christian Morgan, YouSee media director said: “Both in the cinema and at home in the living room, Danish people can watch major Danish films, and this year a movie like Checkered Ninja has broken all records. With over a million Danish households as customers, we know that Danish content is important for them. Therefore, we would like to invest in Danish film, which is undergoing fantastic development right now.”

Nordisk Film Distribution’s managing director Kenneth Wiberg stressed the significance of the deal as it “secures major funding for Danish films and the many creative filmmakers and producers who are struggling to provide Danish people with the biggest and most engaging stories.”

The deal between YouSee and C More will extend the partners’ existing distribution collaboration, giving YouSee’s full package customers access to a larger number of international and Nordic films and TV dramas, starting January 2020. Additionally, the two partners will do joint-acquisitions of higher profile films and TV series. 

Mathias Berg, Chief Operating Officer at C More/TV4, stressed that the extended distribution collaboration with YouSee will benefit not only Danish customers, but also the entire Nordic region. “TV4 and C More are present in all the Nordic markets through our own broadcasters, but also through our partnerships. Through our long partnership with YouSee, we have found a partner who shares our vision for the future, and we look forward to creating tomorrow's entertainment offerings together,” he said.