Yle’s move to online distribution is intended to provide viewers with its full range of domestic and international programming, regardless of their location.
“Viewing habits change and nowadays many people want to watch television on mobile devices. We are pleased to be a frontrunner in Finland by offering the first live streaming television channel to everyone in Finland,” said Yle distribution manager Ismo Silvo.
All Yle channels, Yle TV1, Yle TV2, Yle Teema, and Yle Fem can now be viewed live on Yle Areena. Multivoice transmissions such as sports broadcasts will offer voiceover commentary in Swedish and Finnish.
The live web transmissions will be available in Finland only, as copyright laws prohibit their broadcast overseas. Yle aims to provide as much international exposure as possible for its domestic programmes via Yle Areena.
Currently about 1.4 million viewers weekly use Yle Areena and its additional services.