Sýn HF, the media company which came into being through the merger of Vodafone Iceland, Iceland’s Channel 2 Media, and other Icelandic broadcasters in 2017; announced that it is joining a collaborative effort with the anti-pracy group Nordic Content Protection (NCP).
In late November, Syn launched a consumer awareness campaign to fight TV piracy in collaboration with Nordic Content Protection, according to an announcement posted on LinkedIn by , the Head of TV Development and Platforms at Sýn. “Illegal IPTV services undermine the entire media ecosystem, and this initiative is a vital step toward protecting creativity and fair play,” she posted.
Earlier in 2024, Syn’s estimated the market share for its pay TV channels at about 35% and its radio stations at around 44%. Its online news agency is the second largest in Iceland as measured by clicks and advertising revenue. The TV operation builds on own local productions as well as output deals with HBO, FOX, Universal and Warner. The sports rights include exclusive rights for the English Premier League, UEFA Championship League, NBA, UFC, Formula 1 as well as local football, basketball and other sports.
NCP announced similar media partnerships in 2024, with operators in Denmark in September and in Sweden in May.
About Sýn
Sýn is a company of about 600 employees, with about 33% market share in mobile, 37% in broadband and 47% in IPTV in the Icelandic market. The company operates a nationwide fiber transmission network, mobile network with 4G to 98% of Iceland’s population and TV distribution to 99.9%. The media platform is the strongest private media in the country with media outlets such as Channel 2, Channel 2 Sports, Bylgjan Radio and Visir.is supported by its own news agency
Further reading
Partnership announcement. Social post. By Kristjana Brynjolfsdottir, November 2024. LinkedIn.
Nordic Content Protection launches Denmark phase of 2024 piracy awareness campaign. Article. by Steven Hawley. September 4, 2024. Piracy Monitor
Sweden: Rising popularity of illegal TV services sparks campaign by Nordic Content Protection. Article. by Steven Hawley. May 22, 2024. Piracy Monitor
Why it matters
The partnership with NCP gives Syn an expert resource toward the fight against piracy, and an anti-piracy-specific context for partnerships with like-minded operators in other countries in the Nordic region.
