Nordic Content Distribution: A new European-focused OTT streaming service, Home Cine
How we helped Nordic Content Distribution launch a new streaming platform to highlight European and underserved film genres
Nordic Content Distribution Ltd. (NCD) is no stranger to streaming. In 2019, they launched Kirjastokino (LibraryCine), a video service for Finnish public libraries that quickly spread to over 100 municipalities. By 2025, the company was ready to expand with a new service, this time aimed directly at consumers.
The result was Kotikino (eng. Home Cine), a platform designed to bring high-quality European films and TV series to audiences in Finland.
Summary
While international streaming giants dominate the market, much of the decision-making happens outside Europe. This often leads to homogenised catalogs and overlooked genres. NCD wanted to change that, offering a service where European productions, as well as children’s films, anime, horror, and sci-fi, could find an audience.
At launch, Home Cine featured around 2,000 films and TV episodes, with new titles added weekly. Viewers can choose between a monthly subscription or individual rentals, making the service flexible for different viewing habits.
To bring this vision to life, NCD partnered with Icareus to deliver a complete OTT solution, from backend management to mobile applications.
Product
Challenge
Launching a consumer-facing streaming service is a complex task, especially when the goal is to offer a premium experience with diverse monetization options from day one.
NCD needed a platform that could:
- Handle large-scale content uploads and migration.
- Manage metadata, categorisation, and transcoding for thousands of titles.
- Support both subscription and pay-per-view models.
- Provide secure, high-quality video delivery to end-users.
- Offer user-friendly apps for multiple devices.
- Allow the NCD team to focus on content rather than technical upkeep.
Solution
Icareus Video Cloud was selected as the foundation for Home Cine. The solution provided everything needed to run a modern streaming service:
- Content management: Uploading and migrating movies and TV series via a user interface or API.
- Video preparation: Transcoding, categorisation, and rich metadata tools.
- Monetization: Paid content packages, rental options, and optional ad support.
- User management: Registration, account control, and security features.
- Global delivery: High-performance CDN for consistent streaming quality.
- Multi-platform apps: Icareus designed and developed Home Cine’s iOS and Android apps, with Smart TV apps planned for the next phase.
- Analytics: Detailed reports on usage and audience engagement.
By providing a turnkey, white-label solution, Icareus allowed NCD to focus on building a unique, content-driven service rather than managing technical infrastructure.
Results
In April 2025, Home Cine launched to Finnish audiences, offering a constantly growing catalog of European films, TV series, and overlooked genres.
With Icareus Video Cloud powering the OTT platform, NCD benefits from:
- Faster time-to-market: Launch achieved on schedule with a fully functional platform.
- Flexible monetization: Both subscriptions and rentals available from day one.
- Scalable growth: Weekly content additions supported without extra technical overhead.
- Brand control: Custom-branded web and mobile interfaces to match Home Cine’s identity.
“We’ve noticed that this kind of content easily falls into limbo while major international platforms take time to decide on their acquisitions. In addition, we plan to focus on other underserved genres, such as children’s films, anime, horror, and sci-fi, which also tend to be overlooked in many streaming services,” says the team behind the service.
Films & episodes at launch
2,000+
Content updates
Weekly additions
Monetization models
Subscription + rental
