Standards bodies and regulators quietly decide what becomes mandatory long before it reaches a press release. This category follows DRM and anti-piracy enforcement, codec licensing and patent pools, AI training-data copyright, and net neutrality and privacy rules shaping the industry.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken notice of fan frustration over the fragmentation of sports broadcasting, specifically concerning NFL games moving from free over-the-air channels to paid services. The article references the NFL's media rights deals with partners including Disney, Paramount, Fox, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Google, and Netflix. According to the FCC, these deals in total will exceed $100 billion.
An independent review of Australia's Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act) calls for major legislative changes to reduce complexity and shift from a compliance-driven model to one focused on demonstrable outcomes. Published on March 25, 2026, the report recommends harmonizing the act with other regulations and strengthening enforcement. The review also identifies AI services, hyperscale cloud providers, and content delivery networks as areas for potential future inclusion and sector-specific guidance.
The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a copyright infringement judgment against the operator of the pirate streaming services UlaiTV and AhlaiTV. The operator, Fraifer, was found liable for retransmitting Arabic television channels into the US without authorization from exclusive licensee DISH Network. The court's ruling reinforces the validity of registered foreign works and limits an infringer's standing to challenge the transfer of rights between a content owner and its licensee.
Nexstar Media Group has filed an appeal against a preliminary injunction blocking its $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA. The injunction, which converts a temporary restraining order, was granted in response to a consolidated antitrust lawsuit filed by DIRECTV and several state attorneys general. Nexstar argues the consolidation is necessary to compete with large streaming technology companies, while opponents claim it would substantially reduce competition in local TV broadcasting.
DISH Network has dropped Gray Media's television stations, including NewsChannel 10, after the parties failed to reach a renewal agreement. Gray Media states the dispute stems from DISH insisting on an "unprecedented" and "materially adverse" provision, which Gray claims violates DISH's federal statutory obligation to negotiate retransmission in good faith. Gray stated it will seek restitution for damages resulting from the dispute.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice met with broadcast television station operators to gather feedback for its antitrust investigation into the sports media market. The probe, which is also being conducted by the Federal Communications Commission, is examining the migration of sports rights from broadcast television to streaming services and the potential harm to consumers and the broadcast industry. The economic power of the National Football League was a specific topic of discussion.
Attorneys general from eight U.S. states have filed a lawsuit to block Nexstar Media Group's proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. The suit alleges the deal would grant Nexstar excessive control over local TV stations, reduce news diversity, and lead to higher consumer cable bills due to increased leverage in retransmission fee negotiations. Pay-TV provider DirecTV has filed a separate, similar lawsuit seeking to block the merger on grounds of potential consumer harm.
This article provides a guide to the legality of IPTV services in Canada, explaining the roles of the Copyright Act and the CRTC. It details red flags for identifying illegal providers, such as unrealistically low prices and cryptocurrency-only payments. The piece also outlines consequences for users, including ISP notices and potential fines up to $5,000, citing recent enforcement actions against pirate operations.
A proposed amendment in South Korea's National Assembly would mandate a six-month holdback period for films after their theatrical run ends before they can be released on OTT or IPTV platforms. While cinema chains support the bill as a survival measure, film producers, distributors, and independent film circles oppose it, arguing it would harm them financially and limit consumer access without addressing underlying issues. Critics point out that the bill lacks the corresponding production investment obligations required of platforms in similar French legislation.
In response to an FCC inquiry into sports rights moving to streaming, the NFL has formally argued that its current antitrust exemption benefits consumers and broadcasters. The league told the FCC that removing the exemption would lead to "higher costs and confusion" by forcing 32 individual teams to negotiate their own media deals. This position counters calls from the NAB and other broadcasters for regulatory action to preserve free access to games.
The National Football League defended its television broadcast strategy in a meeting with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amid a review of live sports moving to pay TV and subscription services. The NFL stated that over 87% of its games are aired on free broadcast TV, while broadcaster groups including Fox and Sinclair urged the FCC to take action to prevent tech giants from acquiring exclusive rights. The broadcasters argued that global streaming services can use sports as a loss leader, potentially harming local TV.
India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory reminding IPTV service providers of the mandatory self-declaration process required before launching. The directive, based on a 2008 policy, clarifies that the filing is free, requires no third-party assistance, and warns operators against using unauthorized intermediaries or agents claiming to expedite the process. Providers must file the declaration with the MIB, the Department of Telecommunications, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory cautioning IPTV service providers against using third-party intermediaries to submit required self-declarations. The ministry clarified that the process is direct and free, and that no third party can influence or expedite it. The advisory directs all stakeholders to interact only with designated ministry officials for clarification or assistance.
A Spanish court has handed down a record judgment against a global illegal IPTV network, issuing criminal convictions and over €43 million in fines and compensation. The case, driven by LaLiga and Nagravision, targeted a network with over 2 million users that illegally distributed content, including live sports, from servers across 13 countries. The judgment represents one of Spain's largest-ever compensation awards for an intellectual property offense and includes the permanent shutdown of the piracy domains.
An Iranian national known as Dash has been sentenced by a Spanish court to 23 months in prison and a fine of 8.6 million euros for operating an illegal IPTV network. The service provided unauthorized access to sports content, including Premier League and Champions League matches, to two million users through platforms like IPTVStack and RapidIPTV. The conviction followed an eight-year investigation and included counts of intellectual property infringement and money laundering.
The Delhi High Court has granted an interim injunction to Amazon, temporarily restraining production house Aashirvad Cinemas from selling the OTT rights for the film "Drishyam 3" to any third party. The court's order comes after Amazon filed a petition claiming a 2020 agreement gives it preferential negotiation rights for future films in the franchise. The parties are reportedly in discussions for a potential settlement.
Dolby Laboratories has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Snap Inc. in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The suit alleges that Snap's use of the HEVC and AV1 video codecs in its Snapchat application infringes on four of Dolby's patents. Dolby's filing claims that despite the Alliance for Open Media's development of AV1, the specification incorporates technologies also found in HEVC that are subject to existing third-party patent rights and for which Snap has not paid royalties.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has finalized the wholesale rates for third-party access to incumbent fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks. The new rates, which are similar to previous interim rates, set access prices for networks operated by Bell, Telus, and SaskTel. The decision has drawn criticism from independent providers like TekSavvy and the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC), who argue the rates are too high and will hinder competition.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released a statement on the introduction of the SECURE Data Act (H.R. 8413) in the U.S. Congress. The IAB expressed encouragement for a federal privacy standard that could harmonize differing state laws on issues like data minimization and sensitive data definitions. The organization stated it will focus on ensuring the legislation includes clear due diligence standards and robust contracting requirements to extend privacy obligations throughout the digital advertising ecosystem.
Wiggin LLP analyzes an EU consumer law case pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union (Case C-234/25 Sky Österreich Fernsehen) on whether subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) contracts should be treated as “digital content” or a “digital service” under the EU Consumer Rights Directive, which determines whether a 14-day withdrawal (cancellation) right applies. The article discusses the Advocate General’s February 2026 Opinion, highlighting operational and pricing challenges if streaming services must allow withdrawals while charging for content consumed, and argues SVOD should remain classified as digital content so providers can rely on the digital-content withdrawal exception when required consents/disclosures are met.
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said sports fans are increasingly frustrated as leagues move games behind streaming paywalls, citing over 8,000 FCC comments with 98% expressing concern about the shift from broadcast TV. The article references polling showing many fans prefer major sports remain free on broadcast, and notes reports that the NFL is considering expanded streaming rights for some games alongside existing packages such as NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. It also mentions a reported Justice Department investigation into the NFL’s use of streaming services, while the league says most of its games remain on free broadcast television.
A U.S. federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2B merger with Tegna after eight states and DirecTV sued on antitrust grounds, finding the deal likely violates the Clayton Act. The court said the combined station owner could gain leverage to raise retransmission fees (increasing pay-TV bills and blackout risk) and potentially reduce local news quality through newsroom consolidation, despite prior FCC and DOJ clearance and an FCC ownership-rule waiver that would have lifted reach to about 60% of U.S. TV households. Nexstar said it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit, and Tegna must continue operating separately while the injunction is in effect.
Spain’s National Court issued a judgment against a large illegal IPTV network for market/consumer offences, intellectual property violations, and money laundering, with defendants accepting the joint accusation supported by LALIGA, Nagravision, Movistar Plus+, Mediapro, and EGEDA. The ruling includes €12 million in compensation to affected companies and more than €30 million in money-laundering fines, plus confiscation of assets and permanent shutdown of domains used to distribute pirated live football, films, and series to over two million users across 13 countries. LALIGA also cited a reported 60% reduction in piracy consumption in Spain in the 2024/25 season as part of its broader anti-piracy strategy.
The article details how HEVC/H.265 patent licensing structures, rising royalty-rate uncertainty, and ongoing litigation are driving some vendors (including Dell, HP, and Synology) to disable or remove HEVC capabilities, impacting 4K/HDR streaming playback and transcoding on consumer devices. It outlines the roles of patent pools and licensors (notably Access Advance and Nokia) and notes device-market impacts such as sales injunctions in Germany and US lawsuits involving major streaming and hardware companies. The piece also frames AV1 as an alternative with broader streaming availability but highlights continued compatibility hurdles and emerging AV1 patent disputes that could affect adoption.
The Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) announced the release of four new documents addressing media quality assessment data transmission, Open Caching API security, hosted edge caches, and content protection information exchange. Additionally, the SVTA made four new open-source repositories public, including an Open Caching system reference software and a CMCD custom keys registry.
A proposed U.S. law, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), could mandate that operating systems providers implement mandatory age verification. The legislation would potentially force companies to share user information with third parties for verification purposes. The article, from a gaming perspective, discusses the broad privacy implications for users on these platforms.
REaP (ISO/IEC 23009-9) has been established as an ISO standard. Netflix has been identified as a company already utilizing this standard to enhance resilient and globally distributed live streaming.
Digital asset management provider Razuna has integrated support for the C2PA standard to detect AI-generated content. The system now identifies content created with AI and displays C2PA metadata detailing its origin, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability in content authenticity.
TF1 CEO Rodolphe Belmer told POLITICO that YouTube, not Netflix, is now the primary competitor to broadcasters in France and urged the EU to tighten rules on the platform as Brussels prepares a review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. He argued that YouTube’s hosting model creates a regulatory and advertising-market imbalance versus broadcasters and streamers that finance European content and face stricter ad rules. Belmer also said TF1 will make its on-demand programs available on Netflix starting this summer as part of a distribution partnership.
The article examines growing European regulatory and institutional pressure on US streaming platforms, highlighted by Netflix’s challenge to local investment obligations under the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) in Wallonia-Brussels, where a Belgian court largely ruled in favor of the EU while referring questions (including whether acquisitions can count toward obligations) to the EU’s Court of Justice. It also covers the Council of Europe’s new Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works for Series, aimed at standardizing co-production rules and improving access to national support, alongside data suggesting US content represented nearly half of catalog availability on EU streamers/VoD services in 2025 versus 32% European-originated programming.
The article examines how Canada’s Online Streaming Act and Online News Act have become focal points in the ongoing CUSMA (USMCA) six-year review, with the U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. industry groups arguing the measures may be discriminatory toward U.S. digital services. It outlines CRTC implementation measures for streaming services, including registration, transparency requirements, regulatory fees, and a 5% contribution on Canadian broadcasting revenues for large streamers (estimated to generate about $200 million annually) to support Canadian and Indigenous content. The piece also notes escalating U.S. political pressure, including proposed U.S. legislation seeking a Section 301 investigation that could lead to tariffs regardless of a formal CUSMA violation finding.
Adaptive Query (qu3ry.net) presents content anchoring as a complementary technology to C2PA, addressing the architectural fragilities of C2PA's attached-manifest approach to content provenance. Content anchoring derives identity from intrinsic structural properties of media, allowing provenance to survive metadata stripping and content transformations that break C2PA's hard binding, particularly for generative AI content. The article proposes a composition pathway where a C2PA manifest references a registered anchor, ensuring provenance recovery even when the manifest is lost.
A report by the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe, released during Series Mania, argues that far-right movements across Europe are increasingly threatening artistic freedom in television through pressure on media institutions, regulators, and cultural bodies. It says the most immediate risk for writers is financial and structural, citing attacks on public service broadcasting as a key pillar of European commissioning and production funding, alongside growing self-censorship and portfolio “risk management” by broadcasters and producers. The report also warns that potential weakening of EU audiovisual regulatory frameworks could have lasting consequences for Europe’s audiovisual ecosystem.
The FCC added foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List, blocking authorization for new home router models on national security and supply-chain grounds, while allowing already-authorized models to remain on the market and receive updates through at least March 1, 2027. Analysts warn the policy could cause supply shortages, higher CPE costs, and slower innovation cycles (including Wi-Fi 7 rollouts), with potential spillover to gateway devices used in 5G fixed wireless access offerings from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said on The Varsity podcast that broadcast station groups likely need “some level of consolidation” to achieve the scale required to compete for increasingly expensive premium sports rights, citing talk that the NFL’s next deals could add roughly $1 billion annually in rights fees for networks. The article also notes the FCC has opened an inquiry into the shift of live sports from broadcast TV to streaming platforms, which LeGeyt supported as a chance to reassess legacy policies in a streaming-dominant market.
The UK government has officially dropped its previously preferred proposal to allow AI developers to train on copyrighted works by default with an opt-out for rightsholders, after strong opposition from creative industry stakeholders. The government will instead pursue further work on digital replicas and deepfakes, labelling of AI-generated content, creator transparency and control mechanisms, and support for licensing approaches—alongside potential changes to UK protections for computer-generated works.
The article reports that UK politician Lisa Nandy has indicated a willingness to end the BBC’s 10-year charter renewal process in favor of a permanent charter. In exchange, the proposal would involve granting more devolved commissioning power.
The article discusses how incumbent users of the upper C-band are evaluating replacement distribution options as the FCC advances plans to auction 100–180MHz of upper C-band spectrum for 5G/6G (and potentially direct-to-device use), with the auction required to complete by July 2027. Major programmers including A+E, Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount Skydance, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery argue there is no single replacement for the upper C-band’s reliability and anticipate a multi-technology transition involving fiber, Ku-band, LEO satellite broadband and possibly further C-band repacking using additional compression such as HEVC or VC-1. A small operator, WinDBreak Cable, illustrates constraints in relying on fiber capacity and availability, favoring hybrid Ku-band plus fiber backup approaches.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government is considering giving the BBC a permanent charter, rather than requiring renewal every 10 years, while continuing to negotiate funding and governance periodically. She also indicated the 2026 Charter Review will focus on strengthening BBC leadership accountability to audiences and improving transparency for licence fee payers, ahead of the current charter expiring on 31 December 2027.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Film Commission announced 16 TV projects receiving awards under the state’s expanded Film & Television Tax Credit Program, including the first eligibility for animated series and competition shows. The commission estimates the selected slate will drive $871 million in qualified in-state spending (including $489 million in wages) and support roughly 4,500 cast and crew jobs, with additional projects supported under the Soundstage Tax Credit Program. The release cites examples tied to major distribution platforms, including A Hundred Percent (Netflix) and series associated with HBO Max and Prime Video.
Via Licensing Alliance (Via) introduced a new AVC (H.264) Streaming License fee schedule for new licenses starting in 2026, replacing the prior $100,000 annual cap model with tiered fees that can reach a $4.5 million annual list price for the largest OTT, FAST, social, and cloud gaming platforms. Via states that existing AVC streaming licensees as of end-2025 are grandfathered under their prior terms, meaning the higher tiers primarily affect previously unlicensed implementers seeking a license in 2026 or later. The article also discusses practical compliance details (single assessment across service types, per-legal-entity licensing, separate device vs streaming caps) and legal considerations around expiring patents and FRAND challenges, based on input from patent licensing attorney Jim Harlan.
The article argues that standard essential patent (SEP) disputes around video compression standards such as H.264, HEVC, and VVC are increasingly becoming a global litigation focus, similar to earlier smartphone patent wars. It highlights a more fragmented licensing environment (multiple patent pools and independent licensors) and notes evolving US policy signals from the DOJ and USPTO that support stronger SEP enforcement alongside antitrust considerations. The piece emphasizes the need for economically grounded FRAND valuation methods, including comparable licenses and top-down royalty analyses, to resolve disputes as streaming and cloud usage grow.
Gracenote has filed a lawsuit in a New York court against OpenAI, alleging OpenAI used Gracenote’s entertainment metadata and framework to train and improve ChatGPT without permission or compensation. The complaint claims ChatGPT can output Gracenote programme descriptions verbatim for titles including Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Saturday Night Live, and argues OpenAI could have licensed the data or relied on public-domain sources instead.
DTVKit outlines the opportunities and challenges of DVB Native IP (DVB-NIP) adoption, highlighting its potential for diverse markets and simplified content distribution, while acknowledging hurdles like integrating legacy infrastructure and managing increased hardware complexity. DTVKit positions its royalty-free, source code DVB-NIP stack as a solution to reduce development cost and effort for manufacturers building next-generation receivers.
In its Charter Review response, the BBC proposes reforms to governance, funding, and regulatory flexibility, arguing the current funding model cannot sustain its public service mission. The BBC also suggests extending iPlayer’s reach, potentially by making the iPlayer platform available to other UK public service media as audiences increasingly consume BBC content via third-party services. The UK government has opened a public consultation on the BBC’s future over the next decade, closing March 10.
The UK government said streaming services with more than 500,000 UK users will be required to follow new standards similar to those applied to broadcasters, including rules on accurate and impartial news reporting and protections against harmful or offensive material. Ofcom will be granted powers to investigate and take action when it determines that a service has breached the code.
The FCC approved Charter Communications' acquisition of Cox Communications, dismissing objections related to interconnection practices, wholesale arrangements, and broadband data caps, citing minimal footprint overlap and limited evidence of transaction-specific harms. The order notes Charter commitments including accelerated DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades in Cox territory and plan-migration options for existing Cox customers despite Cox’s current use of data caps. The deal still requires state approvals and may face delays, including potential challenges in California.
The FCC opened a public inquiry into broadcast sports rights, citing consumer frustration as more games move behind streaming paywalls and require multiple subscriptions, and is seeking public comment. Separately, Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general criticizing Warner Bros. Discovery’s deal with Netflix as potentially anti-competitive, as Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is reported to be meeting at the White House about the transaction and related political issues. The article also notes industry updates including Samsung using Gracenote metadata to enable LLM-powered content discovery and Nielsen expanding advanced audience segments in Nielsen ONE.
The FCC Media Bureau opened MB Docket No. 26-45 seeking public comment on how the shift of live sports from broadcast/cable to multiple streaming services is affecting consumer access, costs, and navigation complexity, with comments due March 27, 2026 and replies due April 13, 2026. The inquiry also asks how sports-rights fragmentation impacts local broadcasters’ ability to meet public-interest obligations and compete for premium rights, without outlining specific proposed rules. The Public Notice cites the NFL’s multi-platform rights deals (across companies including Disney, Paramount, Fox, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Google, and Netflix) and notes estimates that watching all NFL games in 2025 could cost consumers over $1,500 across services.
The UK government is bringing major video-on-demand services, including Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, under Ofcom “enhanced regulation” via a new VoD accessibility code. The forthcoming rules would require minimum accessibility coverage across catalogues, including targets of at least 80% subtitled content, 10% audio description, and 5% signed content, aligning VoD services with requirements applied to traditional broadcasters. The policy is framed as benefiting over 18 million UK residents with sight or hearing-related disabilities and also applies to UK broadcaster VoD services such as ITVX and Channel 4.
