Forget the latest Netflix and Amazon Prime offerings — right now, one of the hottest shows on the planet is a 24/7 live-stream of moose slowly migrating through the Swedish wilderness.
Dubbed The Great Moose Migration, this unlikely sensation is exactly what it sounds like. Hours of footage show moose slowly plodding through forests and wading across rivers. Viewers can’t get enough.
Broadcast by SVT (Sweden’s public broadcaster), the event was first live-streamed in 2019. It was created as part of a wider “Slow TV” movement showing real-time footage of mundane activities; think knitting and train rides. Unlike other shows, there is no backing music, commentary, or editing. It is exactly what is caught on camera. What started as a quirky local experiment quickly became a hit. A million viewers tuned in during the first year. Last year, that had increased to nine million.
Deeply soothing
It seems there is something deeply soothing about watching the slow, lolloping animals wander through a pine forest along this ancestral route to their summer grazing spots. With 26 remote cameras and seven night cameras, the show cuts between the various spots to show what is happening. For large swathes of time, there may be no moose in the shot at all.
Despite this, some viewers watch for almost 24 hours a day. Others admit to setting up separate screens so that they can have it on in the background as they work. Mega-fan Ulla Malmgren said she had purposefully stocked up on snacks, pre-prepared meals, and coffee so that she could watch the 20-day migration.
Due to unseasonably warm weather, this year’s migration started a week earlier than usual, but fans were ready. Some 77,000 are part of a Facebook group that provides updates on the migration. It is expected to last until May 4. With panoramic shots, long silences, and the occasional splash as a moose crosses a river, the live-stream is oddly hypnotic.
SVT, the Swedish broadcaster, prepares for the livestream. Photo: SVT
Long lulls
SVT puts out notifications on their app when a moose appears on camera, so viewers don’t miss the excitement. Sometimes, hours pass with nothing but swaying trees and chirping birds. Then, suddenly, a moose appears — and the chat explodes with excitement.
The live stream focuses on a key stretch of the annual route in northern Sweden, where the animals are funneled toward a few river crossings. There are around 300,000 moose in Sweden, but they are notoriously shy creatures.
“We actually don’t see them very often,” explained SVT project manager Johan Erhag. “I think that’s one reason why it has been so popular. You bring nature to everyone’s living room.”
So if you’re looking for a way to de-stress, or just need a weirdly captivating distraction, consider tuning in. No plot, no dialogue, just moose.
