• Total revenue of EUR 4.5 billion grew 8% YOY, or 14% YOY on a constant currency basis.
• Operating income reached a record EUR 715 million (15.8% margin).
• Premium subscribers grew by 9% YOY to 293 million, reflecting 3 million net additions in the quarter.
• Spotify stock dropped over 10% yesterday following the report, which included a Q2 paid subscriber forecast below analysts’ expectations.

Storytel

• Net sales grew 3% YOY for Storytel, from SEK 954m to SEK 979m in Q1 2026, corresponding to 7.9% growth at constant exchange rates.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.0%, compared to 14.1% a year ago, driven by improved profitability in both business areas.
• Operating profit increased 61% YOY from SEK 55m to SEK 88m.
• Paying subscribers amounted to 2.74m, with net additions of 72k in the period, putting the company on track to exceed 3m in 2027.
• Storytel’s shares dropped slightly following the report, as net sales came in slightly below expectations.

Telia

• – Revenue amounted to SEK 20 billion in Q1, stable compared to Q1 2025.
• – Service revenue increased 2.1% YOY on a like-for-like basis, driven by continued strong performance in Sweden and Lithuania.
• – Operating income decreased YOY to SEK 3.1 billion, compared to SEK 3.6 billion in the year-ago period.
• – Adjusted EBITDA increased 4.0% on a like-for-like basis, driven by service revenue growth across most markets and lower operating expenses.
• – Telia’s share price rose initially following the report but has since stabilized, as the results were in line with analysts’ expectations.

Viaplay

• – Viaplay posted group net sales of SEK 5,279m in Q1 2026, up from SEK 4,374m a year ago.
• – Core operations net sales amounted to SEK 5,278m (pro forma SEK 5,399m), stable on an organic basis. Core operations EBITDA before ACI and IAC was SEK 101m (pro forma SEK 86m). Pro forma figures for 2025 are provided to improve comparability and are calculated as if Allente Group had been consolidated from 1 January 2025. Viaplay acquired the remaining 50% of Allente Group and assumed full ownership on 13 November 2025.
• – Streaming subscription sales grew 8% YOY on an organic basis, driven by growth in the D2C subscriber base and ARPU, with a continued positive mix shift toward premium sports packages.
• – Total Viaplay subscribers decreased from 4.65 million to 4.45 million due to the resizing of certain partner agreements, in line with the Group’s focus on value over volume, but have increased since year-end.
• – Viaplay’s shares have risen by around 10% since the report was released on Thursday, as the company exceeded expectations on several fronts, including higher net sales and positive core operations EBITDA before items affecting comparability.

Read up on the full press release here with commentary from Mediavision’s Principal Analyst Fredrik Liljeqvist.

Norway said on Friday that it will present a bill to parliament by the end of 2026 to ban children from using social media until they turn 16. Similar to Australia, the proposal would make technology companies responsible for verifying users’ ages.

“I can now confirm that we are planning to submit a bill to Parliament before the end of the year. We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children. Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. This is an important measure to safeguard children’s digital lives,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a statement.

The Labour-led government received an overwhelming response last year when the proposal for an age limit on social media was sent out for consultation. The government has taken into account feedback arguing that all children within the same age cohort should be treated equally, and therefore proposes that the age limit be tied to January 1 of the year an individual turns 16. This means entire school cohorts would gain access at the same time, with students being at least 15 years old when access is granted.

Norway is among the first countries in Europe to present legislation introducing an age limit, while several other countries are considering similar regulations.

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is expected to make platforms responsible for complying with age limits by requiring age verification. The Norwegian legislative proposal aligns with similar proposals currently being prepared, including in France.

The government aims to send the proposed legislation for EEA consultation before the summer. The consultation period normally lasts three months.

For more information, contact Mediavision’s Principal Analyst, Adrian Grande, at adrian.grande@mediavision.se.

Mediavision: Limited impact from Spotify on audiobook listening in Sweden – Podnews

Sweden: 11m SVoD subs, but high churn – Advanced Television

Sweden passes 11 million paid streaming subscriptions amid heavy churn – Broadband TV News

Debat: Social videos vækst ændrer spillepladen – Mediawatch

Medieutgifterna planar ut – fler väljer ljud och video framför text – Dagens Media

US Platforms Command 75% of Europe’s Streaming Market – Señal News

Paramounts köp av Warner – så påverkas svenska konsumenter – Dagens Nyheter

Spotify har føjet en million abonnenter til det svenske lydbogsmarked – Mediawatch

Swedish Video Spending Hits Record High as Streaming Drives Market Reshaping – Señal News