NENT Group poaches SVT acquisitions boss Stephen Mowbray for Viaplay

Stephen Mowbray

Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group has appointed SVT exec Stephen Mowbray to a newly created acquisitions role at its SVOD service, Viaplay.

Mowbray has been named head of series and kids at NENT Group, with responsibility for series and kids content acquisitions for the streamer.

He will take up his new role at the start of the next year, arriving from Swedish pubcaster SVT, where he currently serves as head of acquisitions, having joined the company in 2008. Mowbray will be based in Stockholm and report to Louise Faerch, VP of Viaplay & Viafree Programming.

“I am looking forward to joining the positive energy and ambition of the NENT Group team and to making Viaplay the go-to destination for the world’s best acquired series,” commented Mowbray.

Mowbray spent 12 years as the head of Channel 4 International, building relationships between the UK broadcaster and indie producers, between 1986 and 1998. He has also served at networks including Canal+ and TV7, before joining SVT as a commissioning editor.

Viaplay recently announced its intention to launch in the UK, Germany and Canada over the next two years and set itself a new subscriber target, aiming for 12 million Viaplay subscribers by the end of 2025, up from an original target of 10.5 million.

Recent series orders by the Nordic streamer include an adaptation of the Swedish novel Cell 8, English-language thriller North Sea Connection, and drama series Limbo.