The heavyweight Viaplay European sports broadcaster has snapped up exclusive domestic rights to the next six seasons of action from Danish men’s soccer’s top-tier Pokalen cup competition.

The deal runs from 2024-25 through 2029-30 and gives Viaplay exclusivity for a tournament that during the current cycle - expiring at the end of 2023-24 - is covered both by Viaplay and free-to-air broadcaster DR.

It also gives Viaplay a wider range of Danish domestic men’s soccer rights, with the company also covering the Danish Superliga until the end of 2029-30 (alongside TV2), through an August 2023 deal.

The Divisonsforeningen, the body that manages the commercial rights of the top-tier domestic soccer competitions in Denmark, issued a tender for domestic Pokalen rights in early November, with a deadline at the start of December.

Through Viaplay’s new deal for the Pokalen, a minimum of 25 games from the competition are expected to be covered per season, although it is anticipated the actual number will be significantly larger.

Lars Bo Jeppesen, chief executive of Viaplay Group’s Denmark operations, said: “With the exclusive rights to the Pokalen, we now have a complete Danish soccer package … This makes us the absolute home of Danish soccer, and we look forward to developing the coverage further in collaboration with the Divisionsforeningen and the clubs in the coming years.”

Claus Thomsen, director of the Divisionsforeningen, added: “Viaplay has been Danish professional club soccer’s strongest partner throughout the ages - and also has a large share in the enormous development that the cup has [gone through] in recent years."

The final of the 2023-24 Danish Cup is set for May 9.