Telia is a telecommunications operator and a media house that is partly owned by the Swedish state. The company was founded in 2002 and has since become one of Sweden’s largest telecom companies.
One of the services Telia offers is Telia Play, where subscribers can stream content from various streaming services and TV channels, including Viaplay Sport, TV4 Play and Prime Video.
But many Swedes have in recent years chosen to turn their backs on Telia Play – and all other streaming platforms. Now they watch movies and TV via another service.
Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT
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Used by 2.2 million Swedes
The service, called IPTV, is an illegal television subscription where users can stream thousands of channels for a relatively small payment.
The use of IPTV has skyrocketed in Sweden over the past three years.
Today, 2.2 million Swedes use the subscriptions and 580,000 households subscribe to an IPTV service – 19 percent more than last year, Telia states in a press release.
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Telia: “System threatening”
Telia now states that they are joining the organization Nordic Content Protection, NCP, to counter illegal streaming and copyright infringement.
Telia Sweden’s CEO Anders Olsson explains the decision and explains why he thinks IPTV is a major social problem.
– That the sale of illegal television subscriptions continues to grow is a serious and major problem for the Swedish film and television industry, but also for society. What many unfortunately are completely unaware of is that this feeds organized crime with breathtaking, and for Sweden system-threatening, sums. This is also the reason why we need to strengthen the joint efforts, both in the industry and all parts of business life, he says in the press release and adds:
– By fighting illegal television together, we fight organized crime, work for a fairer industry and protect our customers. That is why Telia now joins the organization Nordic Content Protection, NCP.
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