Max Verstappen inks Viaplay deal

The Dutch driver signs his first partnership since becoming World Champion.

Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen has announced his latest partnership with streaming service Viaplay. The Nordic Entertainment Group-owned company will gain exclusive rights to document Verstappen’s on- and off-track life as part of the deal.

Viaplay is set to launch its services in Verstappen’s home country, The Netherlands, on March 1, 2022, and it will hope to build a larger presence in the area through this deal.

The Red Bull driver also becomes an ambassador for the brand in regions where the streaming service broadcasts Formula One. These regions are: Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (the service in Poland is set to be launched from 2023).

Additionally, the partnership will see Verstappen’s father and former Formula One driver, Jos Verstappen, join Viaplay’s team of analysts.

Speaking about his new partnership, Max Verstappen commented:

“I am really looking forward to this exciting partnership with Viaplay, as our ambitions to be the best in our fields match each other. It will be great to work with Viaplay’s professional on-site reporters like David Coulthard, Mika Häkkinen and Tom Kristensen. I’m sure their experience as former top drivers will be a great asset. Viaplay might be new to the Dutch viewers, but is a proven international online video streaming service. It is amazing that I will be able to reach lots of fans with the unique content that we are going to create together.”

Anders Jensen, NENT Group president and CEO, added:

“Max Verstappen and Viaplay are a perfect fit. We are a world leader in streaming sports, where we are well on our way to showing more than 100,000 live hours every year from an unmatched rights portfolio, while Max’s thrilling skills have taken him to the top as the 34th World Drivers’ Champion. And we’re both ready to accelerate even further! We look forward to working closely with this talented and charismatic superstar.”

Peter Nørrelund, NENT Group chief sports officer, stated:

“Partnering with Max Verstappen shows the strength of our commitment to Formula 1. Viaplay covers this fantastic sport in a way that is simply not available anywhere else, with the very best studios, driver access and on-air talents like Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard and Tom Kristensen. Adding exclusive content from Max will take viewers inside the fastest show on Earth like never before.”

Through the new partnership with Viaplay, millions of Verstappen fans worldwide will be able to see what goes on behind the scenes during the Formula One calendar as the drivers prepare themselves to participate in the pinnacle of motorsports.