The Great Moose Migration: Sweden's Slow TV Phenomenon Returns for 2025

Every spring, millions of viewers around the world tune in to one of the most calming and captivating livestreams on the internet: The Great Moose Migration. This 24-hour broadcast follows elk—known as moose in North America—as they make their annual journey through northern Sweden, crossing rivers and forests in search of summer pastures.

The livestream, hosted by SVT Play, the streaming platform of Sweden's national broadcaster, kicked off its 2025 season earlier than usual due to warmer-than-average April weather. Since its launch in 2019, the program has grown into a global “slow TV” phenomenon, attracting a loyal and ever-growing audience.

For fans like 60-year-old Cait Borjesson, the migration has become a treasured yearly ritual. She discovered the stream during the COVID-19 pandemic and now schedules time off from work just to watch.
“It’s unbelievably relaxing,” Cait says. “The sound of the wind, birds, and forest makes you feel like you're out in nature, even when you're not.”
She describes it as a form of therapy that has helped ease her anxiety and panic attacks.

She’s not alone in her devotion. A dedicated Facebook group of over 77,000 members shares highlights, emotional moments, and sightings from the livestream. The elk’s dramatic crossing of the Ångerman River, especially near the village of Kullberg, is one of the most anticipated parts of the journey.

Göran Ericsson, a professor and wildlife expert at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, explains that these springtime migrations are ancient, dating back to the Ice Age.
“Roughly 95% of the elk in northern Sweden migrate every year,” he says. “They spend winter in more sheltered areas, then move to greener, cooler places for summer.”

Despite this year’s earlier start, Ericsson notes that such variations are still within the natural range of seasonal shifts. Over 30 cameras are strategically placed across the landscape to document the migration in real time.

In 2024, the show attracted a record-breaking nine million viewers, showing the enduring appeal of unedited, peaceful nature content. Minh-Xuan Truong, a researcher who studies viewer responses, says the magic lies in the simplicity.
“People describe it as an open window into the forest,” she says. “They don’t want music or narration—just the sound of nature.”

Sweden’s vast woodlands are home to an estimated 300,000 elk, affectionately known as the “Kings of the Forest.” And every spring, for a few quiet weeks, they become stars of one of the world’s most serene broadcasts.