Photo: Bildbyrån
The World Cup in cross-country skiing has been broadcast by Viaplay since 2021. Many Swedes are still skeptical of the streaming service and wish that SVT could have the rights.
Viaplay expert Anna-Karin Strömstedt understands the dissatisfaction.
– No one wants to watch commercials, that’s just the way it is, she tells Sportbibeln.
She helped drive the Swedish women’s national team to a fourth place in the Olympic relay in 2006. In addition, participated Anna-Karin Strömstedt44, in one WC and several World Cup seasons as a cross-country skier before changing sports in 2010 and competing in biathlon for four years. For a couple of years, Strömstedt has been living in Norway, but she works as an expert in Swedish Viaplay.
Strömstedt buys the Swedes’ criticism
It was before the 2021/2022 season that Strömstedt, who had actually managed to be an expert for SVT for a while, received the offer to work for Viaplay. It was in the same vein that the streaming giant’s broadcast rights for the cross-country world cup began to apply. She changed Vinterstudion in SVT to Viaplay Vinter.
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Even though it has been three years since Viaplay started broadcasting cross-country skiing, people still haven’t quite accepted that SVT lost the rights. Many Swedes are critical of requiring an expensive subscription and of having to endure commercial breaks in order to watch the skiing.
– I understand that clearly. Cross-country skiing is a sport that people love to follow. It is exactly the same in Norway with NRK and Viaplay. There are even more there, TV2 and many more who are involved and broadcast… Nah, but God. I fully understand that.
Nobody wants to watch commercials, that’s just the way it is, says Anna-Karin Strömstedt to Sportbibeln.
Viaplay started in the red
While she fundamentally understands how the Swedes feel, she thinks that Viaplay delivers a first-class product that is worth looking at and paying for.
– I still think that we have added something extra. Although there is a lot of negativity about it in the media, there is also a lot of positive that comes back. Many are very satisfied with the broadcasts, she says and continues:
– After all, SVT is SVT. It always will be. It is in people’s hearts.
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– It is clear that you are affected by the fact that there are negative comments about how it is. What is perhaps a little sad is that when Viaplay takes over, it is often that people go in with a negative attitude before they have gotten to know the program and really given it a chance. It’s a bit on the negative side before you even get to start it, says Anna-Karin Strömstedt.
Strömstedt says that people are not used to it
The expert also believes that it is largely a matter of the Swedes getting used to certain voices and people, rather than necessarily thinking that Viaplay’s commentators and experts are bad. They are used to things being a certain way.
– Then people are used to hearing certain voices, that’s how it is with all sports really. It’s clear that change makes people a little insecure. I understand that people are critical, but I also hope that they appreciate what we do. We ourselves think that we have delivered well, even if you have to put up with advertising if you watch TV6, she says.
What do you think of cross-country skiing going on Viaplay? Feel free to write a comment and tell us what you think. Do you like it as it is or do you miss Vinterstudion in SVT?
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