Last Saturday the Finnish half-time studio segment of Viaplay’s prime-time Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Brighton was interrupted by a gripping short documentary about domestic violence’s often forgotten victims, the children who are forced to spectate. Studies have found that domestic violence can increase up to 38% during a sports event, which makes Viaplay an ideal broadcaster for the documentary.
‘Life at the Ringside’ starts out as any other sports documentary and viewers are led to believe it is centered around fans of combat sports. It is soon revealed that the spectators in the documentary have been unwilling witnesses to brutal domestic violence in their childhood.
“We acknowledge the size of our reach and the responsibility it brings. We are happy to support this important cause by raising awareness to it through our platform”, says Erika Miramo, Head of D2C Commercial at Viaplay.
“The psychological wounds afflicted by domestic violence run deep and we want to do our part to offer support to people affected by it.”
According to a study, domestic violence can increase up to 38% during a sports event.* This makes Viaplay, the largest entertainment provider in the Nordics and the broadcaster of the Premier League, NHL, MLB, F1, UFC, and other leading sports brands, the ideal partner for the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) who commissioned the documentary.
“The unbelievably sad statistic is that domestic violence is the most-watched combat sport in the world**. And every child forced to live at its ringside is one too many”, says Sini Stolt, Senior Specialist at THL.
Viaplay hosts ‘Life at the Ringside’ on their streaming service and ran it in linear television during their prime time Bundesliga, Premier League, NHL and F1 broadcasts over the weekend.
The forgotten front row
‘Life at the Ringside’ is a documentary by acclaimed director Iris Olsson and features five individuals who grew up surrounded by domestic violence. The documentary offers a deeply moving perspective on the enduring psychological wounds caused by domestic violence and explores how confronting trauma can help break free from a painful past.
“It was clear from the beginning that I don’t want to show our characters as victims or claim that time heals all wounds. Our experiences can leave us with a heavy burden, but even so, life continues”, says Olsson.
“It takes immense courage to accept one’s trauma as a part of their life story, and after that to share the story with others.”
Watch the documentary at lifeattheringside.com, YouTube, or Viaplay
Sources:
* https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022427813494843
** MMA Hive estimates that the UFC garners 207 million annual viewers (source).
UNICEF estimates that 275 million children witness domestic violence each year (source)
