Platform strategy now spans four business models at once: OTT, SVOD, AVOD, and FAST. This category covers recommendation engines, content discovery, CTV app experience, player SDKs, and the subscriber engagement data that tells you whether a feature actually worked.
Instagram is testing 90-minute horizontal video uploads for select U.S. creators to support long-form content like podcasts. The platform is expanding its viewing experience to connected TV devices including Apple TV, Samsung, Fire TV, and Google TV to compete with YouTube.
Meta has launched an Instagram app for Apple TV, enabling users to stream Reels and long-form video content on television screens. This move expands Meta's presence in the living room, positioning the platform to compete more directly with YouTube's dominance in connected TV viewing and advertising.
European football stadiums are increasingly integrating permanent broadcast infrastructure into their physical design to support centralized remote production hubs. This shift requires venues to standardize connectivity and camera positions as permanent building services, moving away from traditional on-site outside-broadcast truck models.
Globoplay is restructuring its subscription tiers by expanding content access for its ad-supported plan to include live channels and sports. The platform is shifting its tier differentiation strategy from content availability to technical features like stream limits, video quality, and offline downloads to drive engagement and ad revenue.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts project that the cloud gaming market will reach $38 billion by 2035, driven by advancements in AI and increased data center capacity. The report suggests this shift may lead to a decline in mass-market console hardware as major technology firms prioritize cloud infrastructure.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) is launching a free, ad-supported streaming channel in the U.S. and Canada to provide year-round live coverage of snow sports. The service, developed in partnership with NBC and C15 Studio, will be available on major platforms including Prime Video, Roku, and Xumo Play.
PlayBox Technology has released a white paper advocating for broadcast orchestration to manage operational complexity across hybrid linear and streaming environments. The publication introduces the company's Celebro Play platform and provides a 90-day framework for identifying and addressing workflow inefficiencies.
Sinclair Broadcast Group detailed its strategy for K82, a 24-hour Korean culture channel, at NAB Show New York. The channel aims to leverage ATSC 3.0 distribution, broadcast-enabled streaming television (BEST) technology, and interactive shopping features to reach younger U.S. audiences.
Apple has released the iPhone Duo, a foldable device featuring a 7.6-inch display that has prompted streaming services like Netflix and MLB to optimize their applications for new form factors. The device supports multiple configurations, including a laptop-style mode that separates video playback from interface controls.
IBC has opened the call for submissions for its 2027 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, which pairs industry champions with technology partners to develop proof-of-concept solutions. The programme focuses on addressing business and technology needs, with final demonstrations scheduled for IBC2027 in Amsterdam.
Sports Studio has migrated its Free Live Sports FAST service to the Gizmott OTT platform, utilizing Gizmeon's AI-driven electronic program guide to personalize channel layouts. The integration aims to improve content discovery for 125 sports channels and serves as a technical foundation for future interactive features and vertical feeds.
AMC+ is restructuring its service offerings by removing full access to Shudder and Sundance Now content while migrating its application portfolio to Deltatre. The platform is also consolidating its Walking Dead library following a new co-exclusive streaming agreement with Netflix.
NDTV has deployed Amagi's AdFlow Orchestrator to automate the restructuring of linear ad markers for FAST and CTV distribution. The technology enables the broadcaster to convert long-form linear commercial breaks into platform-specific ad segments without requiring manual feed re-editing.
Broadcasters and ad-tech executives at the TVNewsCheck Local TV Strategies conference discussed shifting from record 2026 political ad revenue toward automated, audience-based buying for 2027. The industry is prioritizing linear addressability, programmatic integration, and AI-driven workflow modernization to sustain growth in an election-free year.
Wonder Studios has partnered with Foundation Distribution to distribute digital-first and AI-native short films to connected TV platforms including Roku, Samsung TV, and Amazon. The deal aims to transition creator-led content into long-form IP by offering standalone titles on major streaming services rather than through FAST channels.
The Roshn Saudi League has partnered with Footballco to broadcast selected matches via creator-led livestreams on the GOAL Front Three brand. The initiative leverages the Recast distribution platform to reach international audiences in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, the Nordics, and Canada.
ESPN is launching its 25th NBA season with expanded 1080p HDR workflows, increased remote production capabilities, and a larger slate of TNT Sports–produced studio segments. The broadcaster is standardizing live-sports production infrastructure through shared resources and technical collaboration with NBC Sports and Prime Video.
Microsoft is testing hourly cloud gaming packs for Xbox users, allowing non-subscribers to stream owned games for between 24 and 40 cents per hour. This initiative follows the introduction of monthly streaming time caps for Game Pass subscribers, reflecting a broader shift toward metered cloud infrastructure usage.
Comcast has launched RealTime4K and smart-boost WiFi features on its Xfinity X1 platform to reduce latency for live NBA broadcasts. Additionally, Peacock is deploying a new content delivery architecture developed in partnership with Fastly to optimize streaming performance for high-demand live events.
TBS implemented a complex remote production architecture for DAZN's coverage of the inaugural Madrid Formula 1 Grand Prix, utilizing a mobile studio and high-density IP-based audio communications. The deployment overcame significant technical constraints, including the lack of traditional OB van space and the need for extensive wireless coordination in a semi-urban environment.
Conviva has launched Streaming Experience Insights (SEI), an analytics product that provides a unified, real-time timeline of video, ad, and app performance for individual viewer sessions. The tool is designed to help engineering and ad operations teams identify technical issues such as app crashes and ad-load failures that contribute to viewer churn.
Discovery platform JustWatch has launched a new ad-supported streaming service, JustWatch TV, across North America, Europe, and ANZ. The service features content from 30 partners and offers both a free ad-supported tier and a paid ad-free subscription option.
UKTV is expanding its FAST channel portfolio to 12 channels by launching eight new offerings featuring BBC content on LG Channels and Freely. The initiative is part of the broadcaster's strategy to increase streaming reach and advertising revenue through dedicated FAST destinations.
Corus Entertainment has consolidated its streaming presence by replacing the Global TV app with a unified STACKTV application. The new platform introduces a free, ad-supported tier alongside a paid subscription model, aiming to streamline digital operations and improve first-party data collection.
A new report from Parks Associates indicates that 39 percent of U.S. broadband households now use streaming services to watch live sports, highlighting a shift away from traditional pay TV. The research emphasizes that the fragmentation of sports rights across multiple platforms is creating significant discoverability challenges for consumers, prompting providers to invest in navigation and aggregation features.
The proposed EU KIDS ACT aims to restrict children under 15 from accessing social media and video-sharing platforms, including services like Twitch and YouTube Live. Analysts argue that these broad regulations could inadvertently force youth toward passive television consumption while limiting access to educational and community-driven online resources.
TV publishers including Roku, Netflix, and Comcast are increasingly adopting server-to-server conversion APIs (CAPIs) to improve ad attribution and performance measurement. This shift aims to help CTV platforms compete with the walled-garden data capabilities of Meta and Google by enabling more direct correlation between ad exposure and offline conversion events.
Wonder Studios has entered a distribution agreement with Foundation Distribution to place indie and AI-native content on major connected-TV platforms including Roku, Samsung TV, and Amazon. The deal aims to transition creator-led content from social media platforms to premium television slots, starting with the second season of the anthology series Beyond the Loop.
Skydance has finalized its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, consolidating HBO and Showtime under a single corporate entity. A California antitrust settlement allows the company to integrate these premium networks and their associated streaming services without court-ordered operational restrictions.
Streaming guide provider JustWatch has launched JustWatch TV, a new streaming service offering ad-supported and paid tiers across 12 global markets. The platform leverages the company's existing audience data and search engine traffic to compete with established FAST and low-cost streaming services.
Amagi has entered a strategic partnership with Sistemas de Video Comunicación S.A. (SVC) to provide cloud-based media technology and distribution services across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. The collaboration aims to combine Amagi's cloud infrastructure with SVC's local market expertise to support regional broadcasters and content distributors.
Stingray has integrated its Stingray Music+ audio application into Harman’s Ready Link Marketplace, enabling automotive manufacturers to incorporate the service into vehicle infotainment systems. The partnership provides automakers with a centralized platform to offer music, radio, and podcast content, with flexible options for ad-supported or commercial-free models.
YouTube is expanding its Shopping Affiliate Programme to integrate commerce directly into organic creator content across mobile and connected TV. The platform is also introducing Creator Partnership Boost, a tool allowing retailers to co-fund and promote creator-led videos to drive measurable conversions.
Netflix has expanded its Ad Suite with new measurement tools, including a Conversion API and Netflix Pixel, to provide advertisers with improved attribution and audience targeting. Additionally, the company is broadening its programmatic capabilities by integrating The Trade Desk alongside existing support for Yahoo and Amazon DSPs.
Developers are increasingly using AI agents to modify smart TV software, enabling users to remove bloatware, disable tracking, and bypass stock launchers. This trend poses a potential disruption to the smart TV advertising ecosystem by undermining automatic content recognition and personalized ad delivery.
TNT Sports and Eurosport have extended their media rights agreement with the EBU to broadcast major cycling events, including the Tour de France, through 2032. The deal integrates live coverage into HBO Max and highlights the deployment of interactive features like the Race Centre Multiview to enhance viewer engagement.
Samsung Ads announced new programmatic buying options for its home screen inventory and launched two measurement tools, Optimal Reach and Smart Outcomes, to improve attribution and cross-platform reach. These updates aim to standardize ad buying on Samsung devices by connecting daily viewing data with actionable advertising performance metrics.
Sagemcom has launched a new generation of its Video Soundbox, a 4K set-top box featuring the Broadcom BCM74116 SoC and integrated karaoke functionality. DNA in Finland is the first operator to deploy the device as part of its DNA Viihde service.
A new market intelligence report forecasts the global video streaming software market to grow at a 17.7% CAGR, reaching $43 billion by 2031. The report identifies cloud infrastructure, OTT adoption, and live sports as primary growth drivers, with IBM currently leading the market share at 24.7%.
TwelveLabs has launched its Pegasus 1.5 video language model on Amazon Bedrock, allowing users to generate structured, timestamped metadata from long-form video content. The model supports multimodal prompting and on-the-fly processing, enabling automated content cataloging and highlight production without pre-indexing.
NVIDIA has updated its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service to include granular DLSS 4.5 rendering controls, such as Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction, for supported titles. These settings allow users to adjust rendering behavior remotely, though availability is restricted by membership tier and the specific cloud rig assigned to the session.
Fox Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Roku for approximately $22 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction expected to close in the first half of 2027. The merger aims to combine Fox's content portfolio with Roku's streaming platform and advertising infrastructure to address the decline of linear television.
Plex has issued an urgent security update for versions prior to 1.43.3.10861 to address the 'Plex2Shell' vulnerability chain, which allows unauthenticated remote code execution. Attackers are actively exploiting these flaws in internet-exposed servers to install cryptocurrency miners and proxy software.
Roku has updated its Spring 2026 certification criteria to mandate the implementation of its Instant Resume feature for all apps exceeding 5 million monthly streaming hours. The requirement forces developers to integrate specific suspend and resume handlers to improve navigation and playback continuity across the platform.
Netflix executives detailed the company's shift toward cloud-based production infrastructure and machine learning integration at the Enders TMT Leaders Live 2026 and IBC conferences. The platform's Media Production Suite now utilizes cloud workflows and AI-driven tools for automated transcription and tagging to support multi-territory content production.
BT has relaunched its premium TV service for broadband customers, reversing a previous strategy that consolidated television offerings under the EE brand. The service continues to utilize the YouView platform and integrates broadband, mobile, and television packages under the BT consumer brand.
The BBC has launched a 24-hour live news feed on YouTube for viewers in the United States and the United Kingdom. This expansion is part of a broader strategy to increase global reach and follows the broadcaster's existing distribution via FAST platforms and its proprietary app.
FloSports has entered a multiyear agreement to become the exclusive global streaming home for the National Lacrosse League, launching a dedicated FloLacrosse channel in November. The deal includes live game coverage and distribution across FloSports' existing FAST channel alliances on platforms like Prime Video and YouTube.
Pinterest and Nagravision subsidiary OpenTV have settled a multi-year global patent dispute involving video playback technologies, including adaptive bitrate streaming and decoder reuse in the ExoPlayer framework. The settlement terminates ongoing litigation in both the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the Unified Patent Court in Munich.
Grass Valley has launched Avora, a Linux-based, on-premise production appliance that leverages AMPP microservices for dynamic, cloud-independent workflows. The company is also expanding its ecosystem by integrating third-party vendors into the AMPP platform using MXL and DMF standards to support hybrid production environments.
