Distribution chief and Viaplay Select boss had been with company since 2003
Long-serving Viaplay Group exec Vanda Rapti has left the company after more than two decades, Broadcast International has learned.
Rapti had been exec vice president of content distribution and Viaplay Select, reporting into chief exec Jorgen Madsen Lindemann.
She had overseen international SVOD channels, branded content portal Viaplay Select and global content sales for both third-party shows, such as HBO’s Kamikaze, and Viaplay originals such as Trom and BBC acquisition Rebus.
Rapti joined Viaplay in 2003, initially working in the legal department and pay TV, before moving to become senior vice president and group head of acquisitions for content distribution & partnerships.
She more recently worked as exec vice president and chief commercial officer for North America, before taking up her most recent role.
Rapti’s exit is part of Viaplay’s years-long strategy to refocus on its core Nordic markets and unwind operations around the world, having expanded into major markets including the UK and the US.
That rapid expansion came to a shuddering halt amid a severe financial downturn in 2023, when former chief exec Anders Jensen was replaced by Jorgen Madsen Lindemann.
He is the former chief executive of MTG, which was previously Viaplay’s parent company before a split in 2019 and has been overseeing a vast restructuring as the company looks to put itself on a surer financial footing.
Last week, the company’s operations in the Netherlands were acquired by Dutch streamer Videoland in a deal valued at €142m (£122m).
Viaplay, which has more than 4m subscribers in the Nordics, is backed by companies including Czech investment firm PPF Group and Canal+ Group, which both own 29% stakes. The company also operates pay TV and radio brands.
Prior to the collapse, Viaplay had commissioned local Dutch originals such as The Hunt, Roombeek and thriller The Guilty, but the shows were cancelled amid the financial turmoil.
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