Brazil details TV 3.0 roadmap and IP broadcast migration in São Paulo

Brazil’s transition to an IP-centric, personalized DTV+ standard signals a major shift toward converged media delivery in Latin America. By adopting SMPTE ST 2110 and ATSC 3.0-derived technologies, Brazilian broadcasters are moving away from passive linear models to a connected architecture that enables targeted advertising and interactive services. This modernization is critical for a market where 80% of the population relies on free-to-air terrestrial signals. The success of this rollout will likely serve as a blueprint for other regional markets considering similar digital upgrades. Watch for technical standardization announcements and vendor partnerships at SET EXPO 2026 to gauge the commercial speed of the national rollout.

The commercial phase of Brazil's TV 3.0 began in earnest in mid-2026. Per mpegh.com in June 2026, major broadcasters including Globo initiated 24/7 commercial DTV+ transmissions in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasília. This rollout was strategically timed to coincide with international soccer championships, utilizing real-world conditions to validate the standard’s interactive and immersive audio capabilities. These commercial efforts follow the August 2025 Presidential Decree (No. 12,595) that officially codified the ATSC 3.0-based DTV+ system as the national television format, per atsc.org.

Technically, the Brazilian SBTVD Forum selected MPEG-H Audio as the mandatory audio codec for both over-the-air and over-the-top services, according to Fraunhofer IIS reporting from June 2024 and 2026. This selection enables advanced features like dialogue enhancement and personalized multi-language commentaries, which were showcased during G20 meetings and early pilot broadcasts by TV Cultura. These features are designed to function across diverse reception environments, including 4K TV sets and mobile devices, reinforcing the standard's focus on inclusive and high-fidelity media consumption.

While commercial services have launched in major hubs, the Ministry of Communications has acknowledged that full national coverage could take up to 15 years, per clickpetroleoegas.com.br in May 2026. To facilitate this long-term migration, the government recently extended the deployment deadline for certain broadcast components to the end of 2027. This extension, reported by CSI Magazine in March 2026, allows additional time for chipmakers and television manufacturers to integrate TV 3.0-compatible hardware as the nation completes its final analogue switch-off and reallocates spectrum for 4G and 5G mobile broadband services.