Viaplay Netherlands Completes Takeover by DPG Media: What It Means for Formula 1 and Darts Viewers

ByBNW Staff

Viaplay’s Dutch streaming business has a new owner. DPG Media, the parent company of the streaming service Videoland, completed its takeover of Viaplay in the Netherlands on 30 October 2026, after the Dutch competition authority (ACM) approved the deal on 20 October.

The takeover also covers Viaplay’s Dutch sports rights. These include the exclusive Dutch rights to Formula 1, which run through the 2029 season, and darts. Viaplay has held the Dutch Formula 1 rights since the 2022 season.

Key facts at a glance

  • Buyer: DPG Media, the parent company of Videoland.
  • Approval: the ACM cleared the deal on 20 October 2026.
  • Completed: 30 October 2026.
  • Rights included: Formula 1 (exclusive Dutch rights through 2029) and darts.
  • Short-term effect: no immediate change to subscriptions, prices or apps.

What changes for subscribers

For now, very little. Subscriptions, prices and apps remain as they were, based on the information available at the time of writing. DPG Media has said it will share more about its sports offering during 2027. Sport is expected to remain a separate offer alongside the regular Videoland subscriptions, but its name, packages and prices have not been announced.

Anyone deciding whether to cancel or switch should therefore look at the cancellation terms of their current subscription rather than react to speculation.

How Formula 1 fans can watch

Live Formula 1 in the Netherlands is available through Viaplay, either directly or as an add-on via a TV provider such as Ziggo, KPN, Odido or Delta. The sport also runs its own streaming service, F1 TV Pro, which remains available in the Netherlands. Prices, packages and language options differ between services and can change, so viewers are advised to check the current terms with the provider.

The Viaplay broadcasts are commentated by, among others, Nelson Valkenburg and Melroy Heemskerk. The 2026 season ends with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A Dutch-language overview of the current viewing options, including the sources used for this report, is available in this guide to watching Formula 1 in the Netherlands.

Why the deal matters

Sports rights are among the most valuable and most frequently reshuffled assets in media. When a streaming service changes hands, the rights that come with it move too, and viewers have to work out what that means for their subscriptions. The Viaplay takeover adds to the pattern of rights being consolidated under larger media groups.

What viewers can do now

Check the cancellation terms before committing to a long subscription, compare what each service actually includes, and make sure your home network can handle live streaming. A wired connection is more stable than wifi, and about 25 Mbit/s per 4K stream is a common rule of thumb. Several people streaming at once add up, as explained in this Dutch guide to how much internet speed live streaming needs.

What to watch next

Two things will matter most in the coming months: whether DPG Media announces a new name or packaging for its sports offering, and whether prices change once the integration is further along. Until then, viewers who already have a subscription can keep using it as before.