Viaplay is capitalising on Max Verstappen mania as the streaming platform becomes the home for Formula 1 this year for a dozen countries including Netherlands and Finland
Starting yesterday with the first of a series of exclusive documentaries the first of which premiered last night: Verstappen, Lion Unleashed.
In the pilot documentary, the superstar Dutch star is joined by his father Jos, his manager and other close associates to talk exclusively to Viaplay about his journey to the 2021 F1 championship title while looking ahead to a thrilling 2022 season.
Viaplay, who have put up €30-million (US$36.6-million) for the F1 rights, report that they will premiere the exclusive F1 documentaries ‘Verstappen – Lion Unleashed’, the first Viaplay production to star reigning World Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen, and ‘F1 Talks – Mika, David, Tom’ featuring some of motorsport’s most legendary names.
Also in the pipeline is ‘F1 Talks – Mika, David, Tom’ sees two-time F1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Tom Kristensen consider the past, present and future of Formula 1 in a conversation moderated by Viaplay’s Amber Branden.
Peter Nørrelund, NENT Group Chief Sports Officer said of the venture “Ever since Max Verstappen captured his first title in December, the world has been waiting for an in-depth interview with one of the biggest rising stars in sports.
“Innovative documentaries are a great way to showcase the drama, skills and emotions of elite sports for new and established fans. Audiences can expect many more on Viaplay as an ideal complement to our world-class rights portfolio.”
‘Verstappen – Lion Unleashed’ and ‘F1 Talks – Mika, David, Tom’ both premiered on Viaplay on 1 March, when the service launches in the Netherlands with a unique combination of premium live sports, Viaplay Originals, Hollywood films and series, and kids content.