STOCKHOLM — The conclusion of the seventh installment of Sweden’s much-celebrated slow TV series, “The Great Moose Migration,” occurred on Sunday night, wrapping up 20 continuous days of live broadcasting. Known locally as “Den stora älgvandringen,” the program first launched in 2019, initially attracting close to a million viewers. In its latest season, the 2024 edition managed to capture the attention of approximately 9 million people through SVT Play, the digital streaming platform operated by Sweden’s national broadcaster, SVT.
The live stream wrapped up at 10 p.m. local time on Sunday, completing its coverage with remote cameras documenting 70 moose making the journey across the Ångerman River. This river, positioned roughly 300 kilometers northwest of Stockholm, serves as a natural pathway for the animals during their seasonal spring migration as they head towards their summer grazing territories.
This year’s broadcast was initiated on April 15, kicking off a week earlier than planned due to mild weather conditions that prompted the moose to commence their movement sooner than expected. Johan Erhag, the project manager for the visual spectacle at SVT, highlighted the immense effort involved this season, mentioning in a Saturday evening email that they captured an impressive 478 hours of footage, an accomplishment they are exceedingly pleased with.
Although audience metrics from this year’s event have not yet been fully analyzed, Erhag noted that roughly 30% of the viewership hailed from outside Sweden. The 2025 edition of the production even gained attention across international media landscapes, including mentions by outlets like the New York Times, CNN, Sky News, and France 24.
Erhag expressed his belief that coverage by the Associated Press significantly contributed to global interest this year, stating his views mere hours before the final moments were broadcast on Sunday evening.
This highly anticipated program is set to return for an eighth season next spring. “The Great Moose Migration” is a prominent contributor to the slow TV phenomenon that began gaining traction in 2009 when the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK aired a seven-hour real-time journey of a train ride across southern Norway.
The format of slow TV has also expanded its influence across the globe, with notable productions emerging in the United Kingdom, China, and elsewhere. Among the creative implementations of the slow TV concept, the central Dutch city of Utrecht introduced a “fish doorbell.” This intriguing project allows viewers to assist in fish migrations by notifying authorities when fish encounters are obstructed at river locks.