United Kingdom: Viaplay acquires Premier Sports & appoints Edward Breeze (DAZN) as head of sports

Viaplay has acquired the British free and pay-TV group Premier Sports and appointed Edward Breeze, currently executive vice-president of rights for the streaming platform DAZN, as head of sports for the UK (effective from October 2022), announced the Swedish media group on 21/07/2022.

"Premier Sports' portfolio of attractive sports rights complements the rights that Viaplay has previously secured for the UK, and its platforms are available across the UK through long-term distribution agreements with Sky, Virgin, Amazon and Netgem TV. In addition to content and distribution, the acquisition will also deliver synergies with Viaplay in sports production, while boosting Viaplay's local brand awareness amongst viewers," explained the media group.

"Premier Sports' revenues grew by approximately 33% in 2021 to £26.4m (€30.99m). The company is based in Dublin (IRL) and has 23 full-time employees, all of whom are expected to join Viaplay Group after the closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval. The transaction values Premier Sports at £30m (€35.2m) on a cash and…