Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group’s executive VP of Viaplay Select and content distribution, has left the company after more than two decades. She had led global content sales, branded-content partnerships and international SVoD channels since 2023. Trade title Broadcast first reported the departure; a Viaplay spokesperson declined to comment.
A tenure that maps Viaplay’s restructuring
Rapti joined in 2003, when the business was part of Modern Times Group. It later split from MTG in 2018 as Nordic Entertainment Group and rebranded as Viaplay Group in 2022. Along the way she held senior roles including executive VP and chief commercial officer for North America, and senior VP and group head of acquisitions, content distribution and partnerships.
Why the exit lands at a sensitive moment
Viaplay came close to collapse in 2023 after a rapid international expansion that proved misjudged. Since then it has shut direct-to-consumer streaming operations outside its core Nordic markets, and has refocused on carriage partnerships with third-party platforms and content distribution deals.
That refocus makes the content distribution unit central to revenue. Instead of paying to acquire subscribers in every market, Viaplay is leaning on licensing and partnership income—lower risk, but dependent on relationships. Recently the group sold its Dutch operations to DPG Media-owned Videoland for €142m (US$162m), the latest step in narrowing its geographic footprint.
In practical terms, an asset-light model changes the negotiation: buyers are buying a channel or a content block from a partner platform, not a direct subscription relationship. That makes packaging, windowing and exclusivity the main levers, and they are often set by the distribution team rather than a country marketing lead.
What media buyers should do now
For media planners and streaming buyers, a long-serving commercial lead moving on is a signal to revalidate assumptions. Carriage terms, branded-content packages and priority markets can shift when the person who built the relationships leaves. The fact that Viaplay declined to comment leaves the succession question open, so expect less certainty on forward terms until a replacement is named.
- Review current Viaplay carriage or branded-content deals before renewal.
- Track who inherits Viaplay Select, and whether its offer changes.
- Watch Nordic distribution deals for shifts in volume or windowing.
Source: C21media
