WASHINGTON—ATSC has completed a major revision of its A/85 Recommended Practice: Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television, marking the first comprehensive update to the industry reference since 2013.

ATSC said the revision, which expands the guidance beyond traditional television to address today's hybrid broadcast and streaming environment, is designed to help media organizations comply with loudness requirements and maintain a high quality viewing experience as they continue to transition toward IP-based and hybrid broadcast-broadband delivery models.

"As audiences increasingly consume content across both over-the-air and streaming platforms, maintaining a consistent listening experience has become more important than ever," said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC. "This update to A/85 gives the industry practical, contemporary guidance that reflects today's production and distribution workflows while preserving the high-quality viewer experience broadcasters have worked to deliver for many years."

The newly revised ATSC Recommended Practice modernizes the document with numerous technical clarifications and introduces two important new annexes:

• Guidance for establishing and maintaining consistent loudness for streaming media services using both metadata-based and non-metadata-based audio codecs.
• A new Loudness and True Peak Quick Reference designed to simplify implementation for engineers and content providers.

More specifically, the revised A/85 Recommended Practice provides recommendations for audio measurement, monitoring, production, metadata management, dynamic-range control and loudness management throughout the content creation and delivery chain. By incorporating lessons learned from more than a decade of implementation, as well as addressing emerging streaming workflows, the document helps ensure consistent audio presentation regardless of how viewers access content, the ATSC reported.

The revised A/85 Recommended Practice can be downloaded here: https://www.atsc.org/atsc-documents/type/1-0-recommended-practices/

LOS ANGELES—Global broadcast design agency Girraphic selected Vizrt graphics for mixed martial arts promotion MVP’s premiere event, streamed on Netflix May 16.

Broadcast live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., the 18,000-seat arena’s graphics lit up the venue, creating an immersive experience for fans at the event and bringing Netflix viewers closer to the action.

The venue’s Halo Board LED displays, augmented reality (AR) graphics, and every visual element were designed and operated by longtime Vizrt partner Girraphic. The agency specializes in virtual production and augmented graphical integrations.

“In live sports, you never know what’s going to happen,“ Girraphic CEO, North and South America Nathan Marsh said. “That anticipation brings fans to the edge of their seats, and visual elements on every screen should meet the magic of the moment. By counting on Vizrt technology, our teams were able to bring our collective vision to life, engaging the Netflix MMA fans in the venue and at home.”

A unified graphics workflow ensured the production team had the flexibility needed to deliver for both Netflix viewers and fans in the arena—all controlled from a single interface. Broadcasters, rightsholders, streamers and leagues are shifting strategy to handle more productions for more audiences in less time and with fewer added resources.

Essential to the workflow was the Viz Engine 5 real-time 3D graphics rendering and compositing engine, Vizrt said. Combined with Vizrt’s Viz Multiplay video wall and multiscreen control platform, the Viz Engine 5 enabled the team to create an original experience for every live event. Viz Multiplay enables the control of every display from a single interface, with playout available in any aspect ratio.

The solution blends prerendered animation, live video feeds and real-time broadcast graphics into a unified production workflow, Vizrt said. making the management of giant LED displays in venues of all sizes simple and solid. At the heart of both solutions is the reliability to not only support but also uplift productions, the company said.

More information is available on the Vizrt website.

ORLANDO, Fla.—Media technology company FreeCast has unveiled FreeCast Cities, a new direct-to-consumer streaming platform designed to deliver local streaming experiences tailored to each of the 210 U.S. Designated Market Areas (DMAs).

FreeCast Cities, already in beta testing, combines local television, free streaming channels, premium television services, on-demand entertainment and subscription management into a single consumer experience accessible across supported televisions, mobile devices, computers and connected streaming platforms.

FreeCast Cities is marketing itself as: "One City. One Login. All Your Television."

Each FreeCast Cities market is intended to provide a locally branded streaming destination. This destination will feature participating local broadcast television stations, using FreeCast's Broadcast-Enabled Streaming Technology (BEST), alongside hundreds of free FAST channels, free ad-supported movies and television programming, optional premium entertainment services and integrated subscription management capabilities.

The platform also incorporates SmartGuide, FreeCast's universal discovery engine, enabling users to search across supported live television, streaming services, connected subscriptions and on-demand programming through a single interface. Through MediaPay, eligible subscription services may be purchased, managed and billed within one account, creating a simplified consumer experience.

FreeCast said it expects the platform to include DirecTV residential offers, providing eligible consumers with the ability to add premium live television programming, sports, movies and other content through internet delivery without requiring a traditional home satellite dish or additional dedicated receiving hardware.

The company will introduce the platform in phases. It said it expects to introduce individual city launches on a market-by-market basis, generally in groups of about one to three markets at a time, as commercial agreements, broadcaster participation, content availability, operational readiness and related deployment milestones are completed.

Each market launch is expected to be announced individually, allowing consumers, broadcasters, advertisers and commercial partners to understand the unique local programming and services available within each participating community more fully.

"Television has become increasingly fragmented across dozens of applications, subscriptions and devices," said William (Bill) Mobley, CEO of FreeCast. "FreeCast Cities was developed to simplify that experience by bringing local television together with streaming services, premium entertainment and subscription management into one unified platform. We believe introducing markets individually will allow us to work closely with local broadcasters and partners while delivering a more localized experience for consumers."

FreeCast Cities is built upon the same enterprise Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) infrastructure the Company offers telecommunications providers, broadband operators, municipalities, multifamily communities, hospitality providers, broadcasters and other commercial organizations. The consumer platform represents an additional application of that technology while maintaining compatibility with FreeCast's broader commercial ecosystem, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Streaming channel provider Wedotv has inked a distribution agreement with TiVo to be part of TiVo Channels, a free, ad-supported streaming content network integrated into the TiVo OS interface.

As a result of the deal TiVo Channels will initially include eight of Wedotv’s FAST channels and Wedotv’s streaming app will be available across TiVo’s European connected-TV and automotive platforms, Iza Piotrowska, senior vice president of global business development at Wedotv, said.

Additional Wedotv channels are scheduled to roll out to Powered by TiVo platforms in the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and France later this summer.

“We’re very pleased to expand Wedotv’s European footprint through this agreement with TiVo, a company whose innovation helped lay the foundation for today’s streaming television landscape,” Piotrowska said. “As audiences continue to embrace free streaming services across connected TV platforms, this partnership creates even more opportunities for viewers throughout Europe to discover wedotv’s premium entertainment channels and curated programming at no cost. TiVo’s longstanding reputation for innovation and user engagement makes them an ideal partner as we continue to grow wedotv’s reach and accessibility around the world.”

In addition to the FAST channels, the Wedotv app is available on Powered by TiVo Smart TVs and Streaming Media devices and on the DTS AutoStage Video Service, used by multiple major automotive OEMs to power their in-car video services.

Additional Wedotv channels are scheduled to roll out to Powered by TiVo platforms in the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and France later this summer.

CAMBRIDGE, U.K.— New research commissioned by Bango, a U.K.-based provider of subscription bundling platforms, finds that 43% of Americans would switch their mobile, broadband, or TV provider for a better sports streaming bundle, putting more than four in ten customers up for grabs.

That churn risk is the clearest signal yet that sports has become a frontline battleground for telcos fighting for customers. With sports rights fragmented across streaming platforms, telco providers are becoming a trusted way for consumers to consolidate sports content, according to Bango, which cites that more than half (52%) say they would trust their own provider above anyone else to pull all the live sports they care about into a single bundle.

This fragmentation is on full display right now. To follow the 2026 World Cup in the US, English-language viewers are split across Fox and FS1, subscription service Fox One, and free ad-supported Tubi, while Spanish-language coverage runs on Telemundo and streams on Peacock. Even the biggest event in world sport has fans hopping between apps and subscriptions to follow a single tournament: exactly the kind of confusion consumers are looking to their telco to solve, Bango said.

The findings also indicate that sports content now influences telco choice nearly as much as price, with 45% of respondents preferring a provider with a strong sports streaming bundle over one with a lower monthly price. In fact, 42% would pay more to their current provider if it included the sports they care about, according to Bango.

Sports bundles are also a strong driver of loyalty and growth; 46% of Americans say a sports streaming bundle would make them more loyal to their current provider, and 49% say it would be more likely to recommend them. On the other hand, if telcos remove access to sports, 48% of Americans would then consider switching to a competitor.

Bango notes that these findings highlight an ongoing shift in the telco sector, with providers moving beyond connectivity to bundle the subscriptions consumers value most.

“Just like on the field, telcos can win or lose with sport, and the numbers make that impossible to ignore,” said Giles Tongue, subscription expert at Bango. “More than four in ten Americans would switch telco for a better sports bundle, and almost as many would walk if their provider lost access to the sports they love. Connectivity alone has never held that kind of power over customer choice.”

"This is the clearest commercial signal telcos will get. Sports rights are scattered across a dozen platforms, and consumers are looking to their provider to pull them back together. They'll pay more, stay longer, and recommend whoever does it first. In this fight, bundling is the weapon. The telcos that move fast to bundle sports will win the customer, but the ones that hesitate will spend the next decade defending against churn."

The research, commissioned by Bango and conducted by an independent research agency, is based on a representative sample of 2,500 American consumers aged 18 and over and was conducted in May 2026.

LAS VEGAS—The Mountain West Conference has launched MW+, a direct-to-consumer streaming platform designed to give its member universities a new way to generate recurring subscription revenue directly from their own fans.

Unlike traditional conference streaming services, a majority of subscriptions purchased through a member school’s dedicated page flow directly back to that institution, creating a new revenue model as conferences navigate the changing economics of college athletics.

The launch reflects a broader shift toward schools and conferences building owned media businesses rather than relying solely on traditional broadcast partners. In addition to live events, MW+, which is powered by Kiswe, features original programming, athlete storytelling, and interactive fan experiences designed to deepen engagement while creating a scalable, year-round business.

With the addition of men’s soccer and men’s swimming and diving, the realigned Mountain West will now sponsor 21 sports. Its all-sports members — Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada-Reno, UNLV, New Mexico, San Jose State, UTEP and Wyoming — will continue to compete across the full Mountain West portfolio, including football.

UC-Davis joins Grand Canyon University, which just completed its first full year in the MW, as all-sport members outside of football, while Colorado College (women's soccer), North Dakota State (football), Northern Illinois (football and women's gymnastics) and Utah Tech (baseball and men's soccer) will compete as affiliate members in designated sports.

In February, the Mountain West announced a new media rights package featuring CBS Sports, Fox Sports, The CW and Kiswe. The agreements with CBS Sports, Fox Sports and Kiswe run for six years (2026-27 through 2031-32), while The CW has committed to a five-year partnership through the 2030-31 season.

In addition to the launch of the new SVOD service MW+, there is now a new conference website driven by SIDEARM that delivers improved navigation, enhanced storytelling, streamlined statistics and a modern user experience.

MW+ is available on a variety of platforms and devices, including web and mobile web, iPhone and Android mobile devices, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Amazon Prime Channels (coming soon) and more.

NEW YORK—BIScience’s AdClarity said it has expanded its connected TV (CTV) ad intelligence product to 19 new countries, bringing total tracked CTV ad spend to $70 billion across 20 markets.

With CTV now representing 10% of all tracked ad spend globally and 16% of the U.S. ad spent, BiScience has added CTV coverage in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Brazil, France, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Spain, New Zealand and Denmark.

Each market includes local platform depth. For example, the United Kingdom features Channel 4 and ITV, Germany includes Joyn and Sky, and Australia covers 10 Play, 7plus, 9Now and Stan.

With this release, BIScience reported that AdClarity now combines the industry's widest cross-market CTV coverage with AI-powered ad intelligence. Built on one consistent methodology across markets and media, including CTV, AdClarity gives teams a unified way to compare activity, uncover competitive shifts, and move from data to decisions faster. The company said that customers can now generate insights in under 10 seconds, reducing manual analysis by 85% through AI-driven automation, and saving an average of 7,980 hours annually per customer.

Currently, AdClarity's panel of 30 million opt-in users spans 132 streaming platforms, 5 million smart TVs, and 52 countries, with eight years of historical depth. AdClarity said it serves 27% of the Fortune 500, including Adidas, Amazon, Booking.com, Disney, Shell, Sony and Wix. The platform is also used by four of the five top global advertising agencies and seven of the top ten global market research companies.

"Global advertisers don't work in silos, and their intelligence tools shouldn't either. By expanding AdClarity's CTV coverage to 20 markets and integrating built-in AI, we've unified the cross-media view and bridged the gap between seeing data and taking action. One methodology, one platform. Total visibility across every screen," said Dorit Kaplan, VP Product and Strategy at BIScience.

To learn more, visit AdClarity’s website.

As audiences around the world stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the conversation will not only focus on the matches on the pitch, but on the production quality and scale of the delivery infrastructure behind them. According to a Harris Poll survey, more than half of Americans plan to stream at least one match. This massive, simultaneous global demand does more than reveal viewing habits. It actively tests the limits of delivery systems.

Even as encoding and streaming technologies improve, viewers encounter buffering delays and sudden drops in quality when demand spikes. While these issues are often blamed on the streaming platforms themselves, they actually point to a deeper structural constraint within the underlying network architecture.

Streaming this year’s tournament reveals a problem that has been quietly building for years as video has become the dominant workload on the internet. It’s a clear signal that the internet is approaching another major inflection point, one that will require completely rethinking how content is delivered at scale.

Every Network Evolution Starts With a New Application
Network evolution is not new. In the 1990s, telecom networks were built for voice traffic and predictable calling patterns. When consumers shifted in droves to the early internet, those assumptions broke down. Calls that typically lasted minutes turned into online sessions that lasted hours.

This resulted in regulatory filings to the FCC arguing that because dial-up users were holding switches open indefinitely, a non-internet user in the same neighborhood trying to dial 911 could receive a busy signal. The existing network was simply not optimized for how it was suddenly being used.

The industry’s answer back then was not to add more capacity, but build an entirely new architecture designed for data. The industry transitioned from a voice network that also carried data to a data network that also carried voice, enabling the modern internet economy we rely on today. Much of that lesson remains the same – as applications change, networks must change with them.

However, we’re seeing the cycle of reinvention being driven by a different kind of application categorized as real-time, high-bandwidth video at global scale. Unlike previous transitions, this shift is continuous and is starting to expose real strain on the network closest to the end user.

Pressure Is Building at the Edge
Historically, the default response to rising video demand has been to add more fiber. But the user experience still degrades during peak moments. Streams begin at a lower resolution to decrease startup time, and bitrates are automatically reduced when networks get congested.

During major streaming events, viewers regularly lose clarity or stability at the exact moments they care most about. These are not isolated glitches, they are symptoms of systemic, structural strain.

This constraint is most visible at the network edge—specifically in last-mile infrastructure connecting content to homes and devices. Every duplicated stream consumes capacity in a segment of the network that is already heavily loaded. At scale, continuing to rely on this level of delivery inefficiency becomes hard to justify.

The Internet Has Quietly Become a Video-Heavy Data Network
The internet today is now a data network carrying video—but more accurately, it has become a network dominated by massive, simultaneous "hot" data workloads. While streaming platforms and live sports have radically reshaped traffic patterns to the point where video now represents roughly 80% of internet traffic, this structural strain isn't exclusive to video.

We see the exact same architectural bottleneck when millions of devices simultaneously pull a critical mobile update, when gaming platforms drop a massive software patch, or when autonomous vehicle fleets sync hyper-localized HD maps.

However, nowhere is this delivery challenge more acute, or visible, than during a massive live sporting event. The core issue stems from an architectural reliance on a one-to-one delivery model (unicast) for content that is inherently one-to-many (multicast).

Under the traditional unicast model, every viewer receives an individual stream from the content delivery network, even when millions of people are watching the exact same frame at the exact same millisecond. Conversely, multicast is a one-to-many model, where a single transmission can be distributed efficiently to all recipients at once. Live sports are naturally shared experiences. Forcing networks to duplicate and deliver the same stream millions of times over severely strains the access networks closest to the consumer.

The Next Evolution of Internet Infrastructure
Stepping into the next phase of internet infrastructure requires recognizing that not all traffic should be treated equally. We must acknowledge that video is now the dominant workload on the network, and that live, high-demand content requires a specialized approach.

As video continues to dominate global traffic, pressure on today’s legacy delivery model will only intensify. The opportunity ahead lies in aligning network architecture with actual consumption habits to eliminate unnecessary duplication where demand is highest.

This means shifting away from repetitive one-to-one delivery toward more efficient distribution models where a single transmission can be broadcasted across the edge, rather than recreated millions of times over. Streaming the World Cup isn’t breaking the internet. It’s revealing that the internet has already evolved into a data network carrying video, and its physical architecture must now evolve to match.

WASHINGTON—Broadcast Management Group (BMG), a leader in live production, creative services, and broadcast managed services, has appointed Kathy Samuels as director of creative services.

In her new role, Samuels will lead BMG's growing Creative Services division, helping clients develop, execute, and distribute live broadcasts, streaming channels, sports programming, brand activations, live events, enterprise communications and audience experiences that combine compelling storytelling with Tier 1 broadcast production execution, the company said..

Over the past year, Samuels was strategic accounts manager for BMG, overseeing key client relationships across sports, entertainment, media and enterprise organizations. In that role, she worked closely with clients to align creative strategy, production workflows, and operational execution while supporting some of BMG's most visible and complex initiatives, the company said.

“Kathy brings an exceptional combination of creative leadership, production expertise, and show format development,” BMG CEO Todd Mason said. “Her experience launching shows, building show formats, building content teams, developing talent and leading complex productions makes her uniquely qualified to lead our expanding Creative Services division as we continue expanding our work across sports, entertainment, financial services, news, and enterprise clients.”

Samuels has spent nearly 30 years as a producer, showrunner, media executive and content strategist across broadcast television, digital media and live production. She has helped launch such nationally recognized programs as Access Hollywood, Rachael Ray, and Katie, while holding leadership roles at NBC, CBS, ABC, Hasbro, Joyus and other media organizations.

A Daytime Emmy, Telly and Davey Award-winning producer and showrunner, Samuels has built a reputation for creating content and audience experiences that connect across television, streaming, live events, branded content and emerging media platforms, BMG said. Her expertise spans creative development, talent strategy, show creation, content production, studio production, and multiplatform storytelling, according to the company.

LONDON & MILAN—The edge video delivery network, MainStreaming, has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, ITV’s streaming service for premium on-demand, linear and live content in the UK.

As part of a push to become a more digital business, ITVX is an important part of the broadcaster’s long-term, streaming-first growth strategy. With nearly 10 billion streams delivered between December 2022 to December 2025, ITV realized that it needed to diversify its large-scale video delivery model to keep pace with shifting audience behavior and future consumption patterns.

As part of that decision, ITV has added MainStreaming to its multi-CDN strategy, recognizing the need for a more controllable approach to video delivery that enables greater visibility, optimization and performance management at scale.

MainStreaming will support the delivery of ITVX’s core catalogue, including flagship programs, news and live content, leveraging its distributed Edge architecture to deliver high Quality of Experience (QoE) while optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO).

“ITVX is a strategic platform for ITV, and our delivery architecture needs to be ready not just for today, but for where streaming will be in the next ten years,” explained Mark Ison, director of engineering at ITV. “MainStreaming’s video-first, capacity-based approach helps us enhance our platform as our expected demand evolves, and its proven ISP partnerships - including BT - give us confidence we can address quality, scalability and efficiency for a significant portion of our audience, while continuing to build on our already world-class streaming platform.”

A critical advantage, and a key factor in ITV’s decision to select the vendor was MainStreaming’s ability to integrate deeply within ISP networks, strengthened by its recent strategic partnership with BT, the UK’s leading connectivity provider.

With the largest fixed network and best‑performing mobile network, BT’s converged infrastructure is critical to enabling high‑quality, distributed video delivery. With BT customers making up a significant share of ITV’s audience, this collaboration creates powerful opportunities to further enhance streaming performance as ITVX continues to scale.

“ITV's decision reflects a broader shift in the streaming industry,” Antonio G. Corrado, founder and CEO of MainStreaming, added. “As audiences continue to grow and viewing increasingly moves towards streaming, broadcasters need new delivery infrastructures and technologies that provide greater control, scalability and efficiency. We are proud to support ITVX in this evolution and to help demonstrate how closer collaboration between broadcasters, ISPs and technology partners can deliver a higher-quality streaming experience at national scale.”

MIAMI—Telemundo and Peacock continue to report record-setting audiences for FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, with the USA vs. Turkey match ranking the most-watched U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) FIFA World Cup match in Spanish-language history. The match attracted 7.4 million viewers in total audience delivery (TAD).

The June 25 match was also +111% greater than the USA’s final Group Stage match in the 2022 tournament (3.5 million TAD) vs. Iran.

With this match, Telemundo and Peacock have now seen three of most-watched USMNT FIFA World Cup matches in Spanish-language history with USA vs. Paraguay delivering a 7.0 million TAD on June 12th and USA vs. Australia delivering 6.8 million TAD on June 19th. Over its three Group Stage matches this year, the USA delivered an average 7.1 million TAD, up +83% over its average Group Stage TAD in 2022 (3.9 million).

In addition, the Ecuador vs. Germany match on June 25th delivered a 4.1 million TAD, becoming the third most-watched Ecuador FIFA World Cup™ match in Spanish-language history, behind the June 14th match vs. Ivory Coast (6.8 million TAD,) and the June 20th match vs. Curaçao (6.0 million TAD). Thursday’s match also delivered +120% growth vs. Ecuador’s final Group Stage match in 2022 (1.9 million TAD) vs. Senegal. Ecuador’s 2026 Group Stage performance averaged 5.7 million TAD, up +90% vs. the average from its Group Stage in 2022 (3.0 million TAD).

Meanwhile, Japan vs. Sweden delivered a 4.7 million TAD, an increase of +104% vs. Japan’s final Group Stage match in 2022 (2.3 million TAD) vs. Spain, while its 2026 Group Stage matches averaged a 4.6 million TAD, surging +230% vs. 2022 (1.4 million TAD).

In response to how short-form video has changed since YouTube Shorts launched over five years ago, YouTube has launched a number of new features and updates that aim to produce a cleaner, more intuitive experience.

In a blog post, YouTube described some of the new interface adjustments and new features that will be hitting Shorts soon as follows:

• A new Clear Screen mode will hide all icons and text, stripping away the clutter for an immersive distraction-free view.
• You can now double the playback speed on a Short to absorb information more quickly or find your favorite part faster.
• We're introducing the ❤️ icon to replace the thumbs-up, providing a more meaningful way to express when you connect with a video.
• The “Dislike” button is retiring, so you can more specifically tailor your viewing experience using the “Not Interested” and “Don’t recommend this channel” options.

NEW YORK—Samsung Ads named the first brands and agencies that will be taking advantage of the Amazon Ads’ remote-enabled interactive video ad (IVA) technology on Samsung TV Plus.

The capability, which was announced on Samsung’s NewFronts stage in March, allows consumers to shop from their TV set.

Partners include Boiron USA, Logitech, PLAION, PMG and Reckitt, who will be among the first brands and agencies to activate the new shoppable ad experience across Samsung TV Plus inventory.

The announcement marks a major step forward for Samsung shoppable CTV, extending interactive, remote-enabled ad experiences to Samsung TV Plus, the global FAST service of Samsung Electronics. Samsung TV Plus surpassed 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide this year, underscoring the growing strength of FAST as a premium advertising environment.

For brands selling on Amazon, “Add to Cart” functionality allows shoppers to purchase directly within their Amazon storefront with a seamless click of the remote. For advertisers who do not sell on Amazon, CTAs like "Send to Phone" and outcome-driven headlines like "Sign Up Today" extend engagement beyond the TV screen, Samsung said.

These shoppable TV experiences extend engagement beyond the TV and help brands continue conversation across devices.

Amazon Ads has noted that interactive video can drive 6X higher brand search, 4X more detailed page view, 4x more add to cart actions and 5x higher purchase rates, Samsung reported.

“The TV has always been the entertainment center of the home. Now people are using that screen differently — to discover, search, compare, and shop,” said Jimmy White, managing director of ad sales, North America, Samsung Ads. “For years, CTV has been a powerful tool for building awareness, but its greatest promise lies in driving full-funnel outcomes. With Amazon Ads, we're helping brands turn attention into action and close the gap between discovery and purchase.”

Flagship launch partners spanning consumer health, technology, toys, and entertainment are embracing the new shoppable experience as a way to reach engaged audiences, enhance product discovery, and create a more seamless path from content to commerce.

DALLAS—In the wake of the news that Fox plans to pay $22 billion to acquire Roku, a new survey from Horowitz Research highlights how important streaming platforms have become in the connected TV ecosystem and reaffirms Roku's position as the most commonly used streaming platform among U.S. consumers.

According to "Horowitz Research’s State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: State of Subscription’s 2026" report, nearly four in ten U.S. streaming platform users choose Roku to stream content, outpacing top competitors Amazon Fire TV and Samsung’s Smart Hub interfaces, each of which are used by almost one in three streamers.

While Roku leads in penetration and usage, the study also shows that consumers rate competing platforms more favorably across key experience measures.

For example, Amazon Fire TV outranks Roku on ease of finding content within the platform as well as lagging time, the ability to cast to screens, and the ad experience. Samsung outperforms on Wi-Fi connectivity and reliability. Both these systems outrank Roku on start-up speed and smart home integration.

While Google TV and Apple TV have less penetration within streaming households, both platforms fare better on key attributes compared to Roku.

“Roku’s acquisition by Fox is a strategic move designed to deliver younger viewers to the aging Fox demographic,” noted Adriana Waterston, executive vice president of insights and strategy for Horowitz Research. “But as the market for smart TV’s continues to evolve, we anticipate that consumers will increasingly choose their smart TV interfaces scrupulously, much like they do with their mobile devices. To continue to dominate the market, Roku will need to look not just as driving penetration but finessing their interface to meet the demands of Gen Z and younger consumers who will expect a robust, highly personalized, and tech-forward user experience.”

The study also found that “Roku’s new Ad Manager, which will enable smaller businesses to leverage hyper-local TV ads, is exciting because it democratizes access to CTV advertising for local and emerging brands,” she added. “However, it runs the risk of over-saturating the Roku viewing experience with repetitive, lower quality ads which could further alienate the younger audience that already has low tolerance for advertising.”

For more information about the "State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Subscriptions 2026" report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/state-of-media-subscriptions/.

NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Telemundo said an average of 2.3 million viewers have watched some of their coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the competition’s first two weeks, up 277% from the same perioid during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Peacock and Telemundo are the exclusive Spanish-language streaming platforms for the 2026 World Cup. Fox Sports holds the English-language rights to the competition, which runs June 11 through July 19.

Through the first 40 matches, the Average Minute Audience (AMA) across Telemundo and Peacock streaming platforms has averaged 2.3 million viewers, up 277% from the same stage of the 2022 World Cup (622,000 AMA). AMA is defined as the average number of viewers watching the stream in any given minute of the telecast.

Several variables drove the viewership increase, not the least of which is that marquee live matches are being streamed during primetime as the tournament is in North America. Also, Peacock now has a much larger subscriber base at 46 million, more than double the roughly 20 million it had in 2022.

Total Audience Delivery (TAD) over the first 40 World Cup matches averaged 5.5 million viewers, up 141% from 2022. To date, 19 matches have delivered a Total Audience Delivery of more than 5 million viewers, compared to just two matches at the same point in the 2022 tournament.

TAD measures the entire audience across every single platform combined—traditional broadcast television (Telemundo), cable, and all digital streaming platforms (Peacock and apps).

The June 19 U.S.-Australia match delivered TAD of 6.8 million, up 46% from the U.S.’s second Group Stage match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 against England (4.7 million). The match ranks as the second most-watched U.S. Men’s FIFA World Cup match ever in Spanish.

Audience engagement remains at historic highs, with 26.2 billion total minutes consumed across Telemundo broadcast, Peacock and Telemundo streaming platforms through the first 40 matches of the tournament, already surpassing the 22 billion total minutes consumed during the entirety of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Spanish, Telemundo said.

Fox Sports, the host broadcaster for the World Cup in the U.S. has also reported record ratings in the early days of the event, with viewership of 18.4 million for the first U.S. men’s game against Paraguay, making it the most-watched World Cup in U.S. history. The second U.S. men’s match against Australia attracted 14.78 million overall viewers on Fox.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues across Fox, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app through July 19.

OSLO, Norway—Appear ASA has announced that it is supporting Rede Legislativa de Rádio e TV’s contribution workflow for Brazil’s TV 3.0 activities as part of the country experimental transmissions of the new standard, which are locally branded as DTV+.

The deployment uses Appear’s X5 to transport the broadcaster’s signal from Brasília to the TV 3.0 core infrastructure in São Paulo and are part of the Rede Legislativa trials designed to shape the next phase of Brazilian television.

Brazil’s TV 3.0 program has gathered momentum since the technology was formally adopted in August 2025. In 2026, the Chamber of Deputies hosted experimental demonstrations of DTV+ and the Mais BR public-channel platform, while Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) confirmed its role in the first public presentation of the TV 3.0 platform. Earlier this year, EBC and the Chamber were authorised to use test stations in Brasília and São Paulo for continuous TV 3.0 transmissions.

In the Rede Legislativa workflow, Appear’s X5 uses HEVC compression and Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) to carry the signal over the public internet from Brasília to São Paulo. The architecture is designed to deliver the content simultaneously to two CDNs operated by the EBC and ALESP (Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo).

The project highlights how proven IP contribution technologies can support the operational requirements of Brazil’s emerging TV 3.0 services.

For Rede Legislativa, the deployment provides a practical and cost-efficient way to connect existing broadcast operations into a new delivery environment without requiring a bespoke TV 3.0 transmission platform.

“Brazil’s move towards TV 3.0 is creating new requirements not only in transmission, but also in the contribution workflows that feed it,” said Luis Perez, sales director LATAM at Appear. “In this project, our hardware-accelerated SRT technology enables Rede Legislativa to transport high-quality signals securely and reliably from Brasília to São Paulo over the public internet. It demonstrates how broadcasters can use new efficient technologies, such as SRT, to support the next wave of television services in Brazil with the low latency, high density and resilience needed for modern production workflows.”

“The trial has given us an efficient and reliable way to connect Brasília to the TV 3.0 core infrastructure in São Paulo,” added Luiz Flávio Menezes, engineer, Chamber of Deputies, Brazilian National Congress. “Appear’s X Platform has helped us validate a practical contribution architecture for DTV+, preserving quality while simplifying operations as we evaluate how next-generation television services can be best delivered in Brazil.”

Over the years we have all gone through numerous video content format introductions with new formats raising the bar as the world moved from black and white to color and then the subsequent format and technology increases in quality—sometimes major and at other times incremental—in resolution, frame rate, color sampling, dynamic range, overall color palette and so forth. Some have been easier than others depending on what is needed at each step in the path from content creation to viewing on the display at the end of the chain.

That said, they all involved a collection of components to hold up the advancement’s three-legged stool. One is the bucket of things needed to create content, including cameras, mixing/processing, post and editing. Another is the devices needed to display the content for audio and video; amps speakers and display screens and projectors.

The third leg is often overlooked, but without it the other two can’t hold things up. After all, even when the content is superbly created and devices are available to show it with pristine clarity, you have to have a means of distribution. Imagine farmers, bakers or ranchers with all the things needed for meals and a restaurant on other end ready to cook, prepare and a table to serve without the trucks and other transportation routes to get everything from one end to the other.

The Missing Link
That brings us to 8K. It’s not new. All the elements of the content side and display sides of the stool are there, but for the consumer market that middle segment has for the most part been missing: the delivery playback means to get the content to its end destination.

Now, that has changed with the introduction of the Kaleidescape Strato K Movie Player, the first consumer storage and playback product that can deliver 8K content as part of an ecosystem that will offer a wide range of content in resolution up to 4320/30p. Equally important, with Kaleidescape’s new 4K Cinematic format, this is the first consumer device capable of playing back content in 4K with full 4:4:4 chroma sampling and up to 2160p/60/12-bit delivery.

Fine, you might say, but you’re reading TV Tech from the perspective of a professional, and likely high-end, content creator, not as a home entertainment purveyor or installer so why should you care about this new device? Let’s go into the details before answering the question and hopefully the answer will reveal itself.

If you are not familiar with Kaleidescape they are a 25-year-old company that offers high-end content playback devices that deliver reference quality video and lossless audio with a huge library that includes movies, concerts, TV series and more that are downloaded to the device rather than played from an optical disc or streamed.

Using a “rental or purchase” model, once downloaded, the content is stored locally so there are no compression artifacts, no buffering, and course, no ads. Combined with a masterfully simple user interface, Kaleidescape products have become the de facto standard for content playback in high end home theaters.

The product in question is the new Strato K Movie Player from Kaleidescape.

The Strato K Movie Player’s ability to deliver two media playback formats to consumers that have not previously been available outside of your control and mastering suites is important as it helps justify the complaints about the added file size requirements for 8K and 4:4:4 versions of the content you are involved. It enables the Premium Large Format experience beyond specialized theatrical exhibition that we see with the likes of Dolby Cinema, PRIME and XL at AMC venues and PRX and PLF at Regal Cinemas. What is in large part is now driving the theatrical side of the distribution market is now available in the home.

The Details
As you will see going forward in my new “From The Other Side” articles in TV Tech starting next month, there is another important reason to bring this to your attention. As a content business professional you are someone that friends, relatives, co-workers and those C-Suite executives that depend on you will look at for expert knowledge on how they can get the best images and sound not only in the office and facilities you work in, but also in their homes. For that reason, some additional details on this breakthrough product are in order.

The Strato K is available now and 8K content will soon be available in SDR and HDR10. For the 4K Cinematic format there are already well over 150 movies already available, and it is worth noting that the 4:4:4 material is newly rendered out to 4:4:4 and is NOT interpolated.

The Player itself, can play out immersive audio formats as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X along with other lossless audio such as Dolby TrueHD and Dolby MAT, DTS-HD High Resolution and linear PCM at 96kHz/24 bit. On the video side there is HDR10 up to 8K (SMPTE ST 2084 and ST 2086) and Dolby Vision up to 4K (of course, all formats are dependent on the specific content). Color spaces up to BT.2020 are supported as are a variety of aspect ratios including 1.78:1 and 2.35:1 with automatic or user interface selectability.

For those already familiar with Kaleidescape, while the 4K Cinematic 4:4:4 titles will obviously have a larger file size, the rental or purchase price is the same as the standard 4:2:0 versions. Even better, if a current Kaleidescape owner upgrades to a Strato 4K there is no extra charge to download the newer version. 8K titles will, however, require a new download at a higher price.

On the storage side, the Strato K has enough onboard storage to hold seven 4K Cinematic files or 10 standard 4K files on its internal drive. Additional storage may be added via the Terra or Terra Prime servers or previously downloaded movies that were purchased, rather than rented, from Kaleidescape may be downloaded again.

There is no front panel display as most installations will use Kaleidescape’s own control system over ethernet through the likes of Crestron, Control4 or other systems or with a smartphone app or an optional remote. From an installation standpoint note that the Strato K requires a wired Gigabit network connection drop for the main unit and any additional Strato K or other Kaleidescape players in a multi-zone system.

By providing the needed third leg of the 8K ecosystem stool as well as giving home viewers higher quality image reproduction thanks to the 4K Cinematic mode, professionals may now have yet another rationale for 8K or high-color sampling content creation as a means of playing it back in the home—or in your viewing rooms—is now available.

The price? At $5,000 US, with availability in Canada at $CN7,05, the UK at £4500 GBP or in Australia at $AUS $7,999. For applications that don’t require 8K or 4:4:4 content delivery/display, the price of the existing Strato V has been reduced to $3,995.

Since its introduction, 8K has been derided by some as having great pictures that can be displayed on large projectors, dvLED walls or the growing segment of 88-to over 100-inch flat panel displays but no way to get native or new 8K scanned transfers, not upscaled, content.

The arrival of the Kaleidescape Strato K puts that objection to rest once and for all as those displays now have viable, certified, way to have a library of that long sought after 8K content delivered. For you, as a TV professional, the excuse no longer holds water. 8K as an end-to-end ecosystem is truly complete and those beautiful displays and projectors will no longer be starved for feature content.

NEW YORK and SAN JOSE, Calif.—Fox Corp. announced today that it is acquiring Roku, the world’s leading connected TV platform in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $22 billion ($160 per share).

The acquisition will give Fox a strong foothold in what is considered the fastest growing segment in the TV advertising market, connected TV (aka “CTV”) and free ad-support TV (aka "FAST"), and an expanding market for its live news and sports programming, according to Lachlan K. Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corp.

The deal, if approved, would give Fox a stronger platform for its Fox One direct to consumer streaming services launched in 2025 and a unique position among media companies—owning a major broadcast network, one of the largest FAST services (Tubi), a leading TV OS, a premiere CTV platform and a leading streaming service (The Roku Channel).

Bringing all of those platforms together in a combined media ecosystem will bring the company closer to offering advertisers a more holistic approach to media programming, distribution and monetization for both live/linear and streaming/on-demand services.

“This is a defining moment for Fox, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade,” he said. “In 2019, we reoriented the company around live news and sports. In 2020, we acquired Tubi, and under our stewardship it has become one of the most successful businesses in streaming. Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it.”

The transaction combines Fox’s sports, news, and entertainment content and the Tubi service with Roku’s leading connected TV platform, The Roku Channel, first-party data and direct relationship with more than 100 million global streaming households. Fox said its acquisition of Roku “will create a scaled next-generation media and technology company positioned at the intersection of two of the most important forces reshaping video consumption: the enduring primacy of live sports and news, and the continued rise of streaming.”

Roku Founder, Chairman and CEO Anthony Wood will join the combined company and its board.

“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built, and the combination with Fox is an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate our vision, scale faster, and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners, and advertisers,” Wood said. “That’s why our Board of Directors unanimously determined after concluding its strategic review process that this transaction offers a significant premium to Roku shareholders while also providing them with the opportunity to participate in the compelling future upside of the combined company. I couldn’t be more excited about what we’ll accomplish together.”

Fox and Roku said they are “committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of Fox content.”

In its investor call this morning, Murdoch emphasized the importance of maintaining Roku’s extensive partnerships with competitors such as Netflix, Amazon or Disney.

“It is essential that Roku remain an open and partner-friendly business,” he said. “We're in a business that we have tremendous partners who really rely on Roku for a lot of their distribution, and we don't see that changing at all from a Fox perspective.

Wood added that “Roku has a very large platform business [that] consists of advertising and subscriptions. A lot of that business is driven by promotion of our partners, and our goal is to grow that business. It's not for that business to retreat, so we're going to continue to grow that business. That means that means working closely with partners to do that."

On a pro forma basis, the combined company will become the third-largest player in U.S. TV by share of viewing, spanning “every major viewing environment—broadcast, cable, local, and streaming – creating broad and diversified reach that benefits viewers, partners, and advertisers.”

Upon closing, existing Fox shareholders are expected to own approximately 73% of the combined company and Roku shareholders approximately 27%. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. The transaction is expected to strengthen Fox's long-term growth profile, accelerate its digital strategy, be accretive to free cash flow per share by the second full year after closing, and achieve approximately $400 million of run-rate cost synergies with additional revenue upside.

Fox expects to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration with a combination of new debt and cash on hand. Fox has obtained $12.0 billion of fully committed bridge financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. At closing, the company expects pro forma net leverage to be approximately 2.8x, inclusive of 50% credit for run-rate cost synergies. Additional detail on financing terms will be included in the companies' required filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Google TV has announced new features that will make it easier for soccer fans to access games and information about the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Separately, Google TV is also making upgrades that will allow user to adjust the picture and sound settings on select TCL TV models using Gemini voice commands.

In terms of soccer, the improvements allow Google TV users to watch and track games from soccer’s biggest global tournament directly from the Sports topic page on Google TV. Viewers can now straight to the Sports topic page to find live games, upcoming schedules, and highlights from apps like Fox One, Tubi, and YouTube TV.

More specifically, the page offers viewers who want to watch a live match, check recent results, or see tomorrow's lineup, such content as:

• Live matches: Jump directly into currently airing matches.
• Upcoming matches Visit the “Upcoming Games” row to view match dates, kickoff times, and schedules.
• Match highlights: Watch highlights and game summaries on YouTube if you missed a live broadcast.
• Post game content : View expert commentary, team analysis, and post-match breakdowns.

Google TV has also rolled out features that will allow viewers to use voice commands to adjust picture and sound settings, troubleshoot audio or visual issues, and open settings menus on select Gemini-enabled TCL Google TVs.

The upgrade for owners of those TVs means that they will no longer have to dig through settings menus to optimize their viewing experience. Now they can just press and hold the microphone button on your remote (or say "Hey Google") to chat with Gemini and get the help you need.

Examples of the prompts that can be used include:

• Adjust audio & video settings: Change common settings like brightness, contrast, picture, volume, and sound modes³. For example, ask Gemini to “Set picture mode to Sport” or “Increase the bass.”
• Troubleshoot picture & sound issues: Describe what you're experiencing, and Gemini will adjust the settings to fix it. Try saying, “The screen is too dark” or “I can't hear the dialogue clearly.”
• Optimize settings for your content: Tune settings for what you're watching. You can say, “It’s movie night—help make this feel like a cinematic experience.”
• Find settings menus: Go directly to the menu you want without clicking through multiple screens. Just say, “Open display settings.”

The TCL system update that enables these functionalities will be rolling out over the next few weeks to the following TCL models within the U.S.: QM9K, X11L, QM8L, and RM9L. Users can check for available system updates on their TCL Google TV by navigating to Settings > System > About > System update.

NEW YORK and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Charter's Spectrum Reach ad sales unit and Anoki AI have announced a deal that gives advertisers even better control and transparency over where their ads appear on streaming television platforms.

As part of the agreement, Spectrum Reach has integrated Anoki's ContextIQ—a platform that analyzes the exact context of connected TV (CTV) moments—across its extensive streaming ad inventory. This allows brands to see in real time exactly what content their ads appear alongside, including live broadcasts of premium national and local news, plus sports and entertainment events.

"Transparency has always been central to Spectrum Reach and our advertisers; teaming up with Anoki helps us to deliver even more context around live content," said Rob Klippel, senior vice president of product, technology and operations, Spectrum Reach. "With AI-powered sub-segment genre classification, marketers can know exactly where their ads appear and invest with greater confidence in inventory that is brand-suitable."

Spectrum Reach has long offered advertisers the ability to match ads with live CTV inventory, like running a pet food commercial during a live dog show.

Now, with Anoki's ContextIQ, Spectrum Reach can deliver scene-level contextual advertising on live broadcasts. Initially, advertisers set guidelines, such as avoiding certain content topics or choosing shows with a specific message and then, using real-time data, ads are matched to the most suitable ad breaks within milliseconds.

For example, when a story about Father's Day runs live on Spectrum News, an advertiser can have its barbecue grill commercial placed to appear seconds later, with real-time placement supported by the Magnite and Index Exchange supply-side platforms (SSPs).

Spectrum Reach's alliance with Anoki reflects growing demand from advertisers for greater transparency and accountability in streaming advertising, particularly live content, where advertisers have traditionally had limited visibility into the context surrounding their ads.

In the current highly polarized political climate that has made some advertisers wary of advertising on news sites and programs.

Thanks to this integration, advertisers can reach engaged local audiences on, for example, Spectrum News with new clarity and confidence that their ads are appearing alongside content in live broadcasts that aligns with their goals.

"For years, the industry has wanted brand suitability and contextual transparency that goes beyond genre-level controls," said Raghu Kodige, co-founder and CEO, Anoki. "With Spectrum Reach, we're showing that scene- and segment-level video intelligence can work in streaming environments, including live programming, unlocking new ideas on what is possible in advertising."

Horizon Media is among those advertisers that are already using the technology to bring new clarity to live CTV ad placements. "We are focused on giving clients greater transparency and confidence in their CTV investments," said Alexander Stone, Horizon's senior vice president and managing director of enterprise partnerships. "Through our relationship with Spectrum Reach, we can access premium streaming inventory at scale, while Anoki's contextual intelligence gives us deeper visibility into the live content environments where ads appear, from sports and entertainment to local news. That insight helps our clients make smarter, more informed media decisions."

More information on Spectrum Reach's CTV offering is available at spectrumreach.com/streaming-tv.

MONTREAL—Grass Valley is launching AMPP Edge Live, a purpose-built production system designed to bring professional production capabilities to enterprise teams. The company will unveil AMPP Edge Live at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, June 17 to 19 (North Hall: N7369-MR).

Media production teams within enterprise organizations such as education, government, corporate communications, houses of worship and live events are often asked to do more with limited resources, yet existing production systems often lack the flexibility to support new workflows without significant additional investment, Grass Valley said.

AMPP Edge Live addresses this challenge by providing a flexible production foundation that grows with organizational needs, by combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration and AMPP OS in a single solution, according to the company.

“Production requirements are constantly evolving as audience expectations shift, creating challenges for enterprise organizations whose production infrastructures were not designed for today’s demands,” said Jonathan Lyth, Product Director for Enterprise Media, Grass Valley. “Businesses need production platforms that combine operational agility with the confidence of reliable performance. AMPP Edge Live delivers both, enabling organizations to adapt and scale production capabilities without adding operational complexity.”

The solution is available in two models that serve different production demands:

AMPP Edge Live 4000 is ideal for live event production and provides the performance to run solutions such as Event Producer X, which brings production switching, graphics, audio mixing, recording, streaming, monitoring and production control into a single browser-based interface.

AMPP Edge Live 6000 adds processing performance for more demanding production requirements and supports Sport Producer X, which combines switching, graphics, scoring, timing, data integration and instant replay for sports production.

Across both models, operators can manage workflows that previously required multiple specialist systems and dedicated personnel, all through one production environment, Grass Valley said.

AMPP Edge Live also simplifies lifecycle management through a unified ownership model. Grass Valley designs, validates and supports AMPP Edge Live as a complete solution, managing hardware validation, software compatibility, updates and support through a single point of accountability. This removes much of the integration burden associated with multi-vendor environments while helping ensure organizations remain ready for future production requirements.

AMPP Edge Live is built on a short-depth 4 RU chassis with redundant power and modular AMPP I/O cards, so connectivity can be tailored to each workflow. It includes enterprise-grade security, centralized management and role-based access controls, and forms part of the Grass Valley Media Universe, supporting on-premise, hybrid and cloud-connected workflows.

AMPP Edge Live is available now in the L4000 and L6000 appliance models, with SDI 8 and SDI 12 AMPP I/O card options and media storage choices of 2 TB or 4 TB.

VIENNA—Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, is collaborating with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to extend playback to TiVo OS smart TVs and devices.

Under the new partnership, Bitmovin and Simplestream have created a fully integrated streaming platform combining Simplestream’s content management and application framework with Bitmovin’s advanced playback technology.

The consolidated platform enables video providers to deliver a consistent, high-quality user experience to viewers with TiVo OS devices, the companies said. Bitmovin’s automated testing system uses AI analysis to process and analyze over a million tests each week to pinpoint root causes of playback issues faster and with greater accuracy to ensure the highest quality viewing experiences. Bitmovin first extended support to include TiVo OS in October 2025.

The companies claimed that the joint solution will help media companies and operators simplify their technology stack to reduce operational complexity and integration risk, while ensuring consistent and reliable playback across devices. It also enables flexible monetization capabilities including support for a range of ad formats such as pre-roll ads and pause ads, as well as standardized accessibility features that support inclusive viewing experiences.

“This collaboration represents an important step forward in simplifying and modernizing OTT delivery for our customers,” said Ashley Reynolds-Horne, Technical Director for Simplestream. “By combining Simplestream’s end-to-end platform capabilities with Bitmovin’s proven playback technology, we’re enabling media companies and operators to deliver reliable, scalable streaming experiences while unlocking new opportunities for monetization and service growth.”

James Varndell, Senior Director of Product Management, Bitmovin, commented: “Video providers want their service to be accessible by as many viewers as possible including those running TiVo OS, which is rapidly gaining traction. By extending support to include TiVo OS and collaborating with Simplestream to simplify launching on TiVo OS, we’re supporting customers to reach more viewers across a wider range of devices.”

Stephane David, Senior Director, Content Partnerships and Business Development EMEA, Xperi, added: “TiVo OS is designed to put great content front and centre. Collaborating with Bitmovin and Simplestream will help more streaming services to launch on TiVo OS with a high‑quality, consistent playback experience, so audiences can find, watch and enjoy more of what they love.”

Developed by Xperi and launched in 2022, TiVo OS is a content‑first operating system designed to make it easier for viewers to find, watch and enjoy great television. The platform powers smart TVs from leading brands, as well as a range of smart TV devices including set‑top boxes.

NEW YORK—Fubo and NBCUniversal have struck a distribution agreement, ending a longstanding carriage dispute dating back to last November.

“We’re thrilled to announce the return of NBCUniversal networks to Fubo, given their robust portfolio of top-tier sports, entertainment and news,” said Todd Mathers, executive vice president, content strategy and acquisition, Fubo. “Our agreement with NBCUniversal underscores Fubo’s promise to bring consumers more programming, value and choice through multiple packaging options.”

Starting June 10, Fubo’s virtual MVPD customers can stream NBCU’s Spanish-language networks, Telemundo and Universo, as well as its English-language networks, including the new NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), regional sports networks (RSNs) and new FAST channels to launch in the coming weeks.

Customers will be able to access NBCUniversal programming through multiple Fubo plan options, including:

• NBC, through Fubo’s base English-language TV plan and the Fubo Sports content service;
• Telemundo, through Fubo’s base English-language TV plan and Latino plan;
• Bravo, through Fubo’s base English-language TV plan;
• Universo through Fubo’s Latino Plan, Spanish-language Latino Plus add-on package and English-language Extra package;
• NBC Sports RSNs (Bay Area, Boston, California, Philadelphia), through Fubo’s base English-language TV plan; and
• NBCSN, through Fubo’s base English-language TV plan and the Fubo Sports content service.

WASHINGTON—National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt urged Congress to reform the Sports Broadcasting Act so that it “applies only to league-wide negotiations with media companies that will distribute games through broadcast television, not lock games behind streaming paywalls.”

The SBA, passed in 1961, gives the National Football League a limited antitrust exemption that allows it to negotiate TV rights deals with media companies on behalf of all of its teams.

In recent years, LeGeyt and others at a House subcommittee hearing argued, the NFL has pursued a policy of selling media rights to subscription streaming services that has enriched the league but harmed consumers.

“The Sports Broadcasting Act was built on a simple public-interest bargain,” he said in prepared testimony to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust. “Professional sports leagues received a limited antitrust exemption so they could pool and sell broadcast rights, and fans received broad public access to their games … For decades, that bargain worked. Fans could watch most games on free, local broadcast television. Leagues benefited from the unmatched reach of broadcasting.

“Yet today, it is increasingly apparent that the public access goals of that bargain are no longer being met,” he added. “Games from the four major professional leagues are now spread across Amazon Prime [Video], Netflix, YouTube TV and Apple TV. Fans increasingly need multiple paid subscriptions to watch their favorite teams, and survey after survey shows fans are confused and frustrated. Some estimates suggest that accessing every NFL game over the course of a season would cost a consumer well over $1,000. That’s a long way from the broad, free access Congress intended when it created the SBA.”

To remedy this, LeGeyt said: “NAB is not asking to eliminate the Sports Broadcasting Act. But this Committee should reaffirm that the SBA applies only to league-wide negotiations with media companies that will distribute games through broadcast television, not lock games behind streaming paywalls.”

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez also expressed serious concern about the way the NFL has sold media rights and handled its distribution strategy.

“The economics of how fans actually watch have shifted in ways that deserve serious attention,” she said. “What used to arrive through an antenna, available to anyone regardless of income, has increasingly migrated behind a growing stack of subscriptions and league-specific apps. For a family trying to follow their team through a full season, the cost of piecing together access across multiple platforms adds up quickly.”

Gomez also noted that the FCC is currently probing the state of sports rights on broadcasting.

“The FCC has a legitimate interest in helping gather information on how the Sports Broadcasting Act is functioning in a changing media environment, and I support efforts to ensure fans can access the games they love without paying a fortune,” she said. “When sports programming migrates behind paywalls, fans lose access, local broadcasters lose the revenue that keeps their stations alive, and the local journalism those stations produce loses the funding on which they depend.”

But she added that “I also want to be candid about where the FCC's authority ends. The Commission can gather information, raise concerns, and call out fouls where it sees them, but any meaningful update to the Sports Broadcasting Act will ultimately require legislative action.”

Also testifying was Jim Hallers, founder and managing partner of Tailgators Pub & Grill and Citizens Grill, a chain of sports bars in Texas, who blasted the NFL’s 2022 decision to sell the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market game package to YouTube. He said the general shift of sports rights to streaming has imposed significant costs on restaurants and bars.

“Because we promise customers every NFL game, we now have to figure out how to deliver multiple simultaneous streams across dozens of televisions,” he said. “One commercial video switch with enough inputs and outputs can cost in excess of $15,000. A full upgrade including equipment, wiring and the labor will cost $30,000 to $40,000 per restaurant. And then there is the bandwidth problem. It is one thing to stream a game at home. It is another thing to stream ten noon games at once while also running point-of-sale systems, credit card processing, security cameras, online ordering, music, office systems and customer Wi-Fi. When a game freezes during a key play, the customer does not blame the provider. They blame the restaurant.”

“Beginning with the 2026 season, EverPass is the commercial provider for NFL Sunday Ticket,“ he said. “But EverPass does not replace the rest of the programming my customers expect. I still need DirecTV, cable or another provider for the in-market football game, and all the other channels and programming that make a sports bar work. So instead of simplifying the business, the transition is adding another layer of cost and complexity. I cannot simply replace 40 DirecTV boxes in one venue with 40 streaming devices. It does not work like this. The internet capacity, hardware, control systems and reliability are not there yet.”

WASHINGTON—In the runup to June 10 hearings to examine the antitrust exemptions currently enjoyed by the NFL and other major professional sports, the House Judiciary Committee has released an interim staff report titled “The Sports Broadcasting Act: A Special-Interest Antitrust Exemption Gone Awry” blasting the league’s current strategy for selling media rights.

The NFL has stretched an antitrust exemption created in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 beyond its original purpose to the detriment of U.S. consumers, the report argues, through a series of deals with streaming companies that have enriched the league and harmed TV viewers.

“The results shown in the data suggest that the NFL's current model of placing games behind a paywall, especially through its Sunday Ticket offering, is harming consumers by forcing them to pay for a large package of NFL games when many consumers only want to see their favorite team's games,” the committee found. “The existence of the data also suggests that the NFL has misstated the nature of its Sunday Ticket product.”

The report comes at a time when the NFL is under increasing political and regulatory pressure from legislators and regulators. President Donald Trump, members of Congress and the Federal Communications Commission, which has opened a probe into the current market for sports rights, have all complained that the shift of major sports rights from free broadcast to streaming platforms have made it increasingly costly and difficult for fans to follow their favorite teams.

In August 2025, the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust opened an investigation into the professional sports leagues’ broadcasting practices, which the SBA governs. The SBA provides the leagues with an antitrust exemption so they can negotiate rights deals on behalf of all their teams.

As part of this oversight, the Committee says it is examining whether anticompetitive broadcasting conduct by the NFL has harmed American football consumers and undermined the letter and spirit of the antitrust laws and the SBA.

The NFL counters that 100% of its “local market games” are available over the air for free and 87% of games have “primary distribution’ on broadcast television. In meetings with the FCC, league officials have argued the NFL offers “the most fan- and broadcaster-friendly [model] in the entire sports and entertainment industry.”

“The NFL’s claim of a fan-friendly distribution model defies the reality experienced by millions of NFL fans,” the committee found. “The NFL's own data show that the average NFL game reaches only 39% of U.S. households. In 2016, broadcasters aired 113 of the NFL’s 256 regular-season games in fewer than 20 percent of U.S. households. When the NFL claims that 87% of games receive “primary distribution” on broadcast television, it means only that a broadcast station carries those games somewhere in the country—not that most fans can watch them.”

Additionally, survey data obtained by the committee suggested the NFL's Sunday Ticket out-of-market games package is not as consumer-friendly as the league claims. The report argues that:

• Despite the NFL's claims, Sunday Ticket is not just a product for the avid fan of NFL football in general, but a product bought mainly by fans attempting to watch their favorite team who are stuck with no other option.
• According to data from former Sunday Ticket subscribers, when asked, “Why did you sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket?” over 70% of respondents answered that they subscribed to “watch my favorite team, which is out of market.“
• When asked why they canceled their Sunday Ticket subscription, 70% of respondents said the package is too expensive.

The Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will convene a hearing about the SBA on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Read the full report here.

Read the full appendix here.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be one of the most-watched sporting events in streaming history. It will also be one of the most complicated for viewers to navigate.

For fans, the question sounds simple: where do I watch the match? But across connected TV, the answer is no longer as straightforward as turning on a channel. Viewers may encounter the tournament through a smart TV home screen, sports hub, streaming app, platform search, voice navigation, YouTube preview, or AI-powered recommendation.

With 104 matches and 48 teams, combined with multilingual coverage across multiple platforms, YouTube’s first 10-minute viewing window, and connected TV operating systems playing a larger role in content discovery, the tournament is shaping up to be a major test of the modern streaming experience.

The Home Screen Is the New Sports Guide
Today, the TV home screen is becoming the front door to live sports. The apps a viewer sees first, the events promoted in hero banners, the matches surfaced in live sports rows, and the results returned through search can all influence where audiences go and what they watch.

That matters because live sports discovery is different from entertainment discovery. A movie can be found later. A series can sit on a watchlist. But a live match has a start time, a halftime, and a final whistle. If fans cannot quickly find the right destination, the moment may be missed.

Because of that urgency, placement, timing, accuracy, and context all matter. A World Cup match prominently promoted on a TV home screen has a very different discovery advantage from one buried behind multiple clicks or unclear app navigation.

Live Sports Merchandising Is More Complex
The scale of the World Cup will make this even more complex. The tournament will include multiple daily matches, different kickoff times, national teams with varying levels of audience demand, and different viewing preferences across language, region, and platform. FIFA has predicted that 6 billion viewers will watch the tournament.

A fan searching for “Mexico live,” “World Cup highlights,” “soccer on now,” or “watch Argentina” may expect an instant answer. Whether that answer appears clearly will depend on how well platforms organize, tag, promote, and surface live sports content.

Apps still matter, but operating systems increasingly shape the path viewers take before they ever open an app. Sports hubs, recommendation rows, search tools, voice assistants, and AI-driven prompts can all guide fans toward one viewing path over another.

YouTube Could Reshape the Funnel
For the 2026 World Cup, match discovery could increasingly begin on YouTube, where official media partners will have the option to stream the first 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channels.

That model adds an important new dimension to the viewing journey. By giving rights-holding broadcasters a way to showcase the opening minutes live on YouTube, FIFA is creating a new top-of-funnel entry point for fans who may encounter matches through previews, clips, creators, search, or algorithmic recommendations.

YouTube could become a powerful discovery channel, particularly for younger viewers and casual fans. But the real test will be the handoff: once the preview ends, can viewers easily find the full match on the correct app, language feed, or platform destination?

The more friction involved, the greater the risk that viewers drop off before reaching the full match experience.

Small UI Errors Can Create Big Problems
The 2026 World Cup will also expose the operational challenges behind live sports merchandising. At Looper Insights, our data has found an average of 1.3 user interface errors per live sports event. These can include incorrect tiles, incorrect start time listings, outdated promotions, missing event information, broken navigation paths, or inconsistent placement across devices.

For general entertainment, these issues are frustrating. For live sports, they can be costly. When a fan is trying to find a match already underway, even a small error can mean missed viewing time, confusion, or abandonment.

The impact extends to advertisers as well. If fans miss the opening minutes of a major World Cup match because the game is difficult to find, brands lose access to some of the most valuable live viewing moments: pre-game build-up, kick-off, early in-game attention, and the shared urgency that makes sports advertising so powerful. For sponsors and media buyers investing in marquee matches, discovery friction can weaken the value of campaigns that depend on audiences arriving on time and at scale.

That is why verification will matter as much as promotion. Broadcasters, streamers, rights holders, and platforms will need to know whether placements appeared as planned, whether event information was accurate, and whether issues were resolved before they affected viewers. At the World Cup scale, a missing tile, outdated promotion, or incorrect start time can affect tune-in, advertiser value, and the overall fan experience.

The Winners Will Make Discovery Effortless
The companies that perform best during the World Cup will not simply be those with the biggest campaigns. They will be the ones that make the viewing journey effortless: surfacing the right match at the right time, guiding fans from previews to full-match viewing, and ensuring promotions accurately reflect what is live now.

As streaming becomes more fragmented, visibility becomes more valuable. For live sports, visibility is not just about awareness. It is about access, timing, and conversion.

The match may start on the pitch, but for millions of viewers, the journey will begin on the home screen.

COLOGNE, Germany—Qvest has introduced two new solutions that the company says will help drive more efficient processing in software defined architectures.

The two new open-source projects—mxl-k8s and go-mxl—address key challenges of modern broadcast architectures in the context of Dynamic Media Facilities (DMF) and advance their practical implementation in Kubernetes-based environments.

Qvest says its solution addresses one of the key scalability challenges in DMF-based architectures. Multiple applications often access the same stream simultaneously, leading to significant bandwidth inefficiencies, rising costs, and increasing complexity that grows with each additional application.

“With uncompressed UHD streams in the range of 10 Gbit/s and more, this is not a marginal issue but a major economic factor,” says Daniel Clasen, Practice Lead – Custom Software Solutions at Qvest. “Our approach ensures that streams are processed at most once per node within the cluster. This lays the foundation for more efficient and future-proof media platforms.”

Qvest addresses this challenge with mxl‑k8s, which enables scalable, converged use of MXL across multiple nodes within a cluster. Media flows are shared within a node, regardless of how many applications access them.

On a technical level, Qvest extends the DMF architecture with a cluster-wide orchestration layer for MXL: As a software layer, MXL provides a standardized mechanism for exchanging media flows between applications and can be directly integrated into products.

The automated orchestration of this exchange across multiple nodes and systems is deliberately outside the scope of the MXL core and has so far been implemented on a project-specific basis—with corresponding effort for vendors and integrators that can be significantly reduced using mxl‑k8s.

With mxl‑k8s, crossnode transport of MXL becomes available for the first time as an automated cluster feature, without the need to implement it within each media function, according to the company. This removes a key scalability limitation of modern media architectures. For applications, the need to account for the origin or routing of a flow is eliminated.

go‑mxl, Qvest’s Go binding for the MXL libraries implemented in C/C++, further simplifies integration into modern software stacks and makes the technology accessible to a broader developer base.

“MXL is designed as a layer for integration into software products. Across multiple systems, an additional orchestration layer becomes essential. This is exactly the layer we are now adding, enabling fully automated operation across the entire cluster. Initial feedback from the industry confirms the strong demand for this type of orchestration,” summarizes Daniel Clasen.

Qvest is providing both projects as open source, enabling the industry to further develop the approaches and integrate them into their own systems.

As part of Qvest’s broader industry engagement, in May 2026, the company upgraded its membership in the industry association AMWA to General Member and is now contributing this technical expertise more actively to the development of industry standards – including throughthe Joint Task Force on Dynamic Media Facilities (JT‑DMF).

Find mxl-k8s and go-mxl on GitHub: https://github.com/qvest-digital/go-mxl

FIFA+ will launch exclusively on DAZN, bringing the FAST channel to hundreds of millions of soccer fans, soccer’s global governing body and the streaming service said.

FIFA+ on DAZN will feature some 8,500 live matches per year from around 100 FIFA member associations, alongside original programming and archive content.

“The integration of FIFA+ into DAZN represents a key milestone in our ambition to make football truly global and accessible,” Mattias Grafström, FIFA secretary general, said. “Following the successful collaboration at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, we are now taking the next steps in building the Global Home of Football, bringing together competitions, content and storytelling on a single platform while creating new opportunities for our FIFA Member Associations to grow their audiences worldwide.”

The move creates a single global destination for thousands of FIFA-related live events, archival content and original programming. This new service brings FIFA’s extensive portfolio of global soccer content together with DAZN’s portfolio of soccer rights from the top leagues and competitions around the world.

In addition to around 8,500 live events in selected territories annually, the offering includes content from FIFA member associations, extensive data and select archive content from past FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with fans able to watch full match replays, highlights, goals, collections, plus curated content that uses unseen angles and historic footage.

In addition, the 2026 offering includes the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in certain territories.

SAN FRANCISCO—Peacock will stream Telemundo’s live Spanish-language coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Dolby AC-4.

“As the leader in live sports streaming, Peacock is known for our unmatched reliability and quality,” said David Bohunek, senior vice president of global video engineering at NBCUniversal. “Fútbol fans will love watching Telemundo’s FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on Peacock in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Dolby AC-4—it’ll be a truly stunning viewing experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

A joint team of engineers from NBCUniversal and Dolby Laboratories worked together for more than a year to fine-tune how Peacock brings Dolby Vision to live sports, combining Dolby’s latest streaming tools with NBCUniversal’s expertise in native HDR production.

All 104 matches will be delivered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Dolby AC-4, a first for the event. Peacock’s presentation of Telemundo’s World Cup coverage is also believed to be the first commercial deployment of Dolby AC-4 by a video streamer.

Dolby AC-4 delivers clear sound with up to 50% greater efficiency than traditional codecs, enabling delivery of Dolby Atmos at the highest possible fidelity.

“There is no bigger stage in sports, and now Peacock viewers will experience every moment the way it was meant to be seen and heard," said John Couling, senior vice president of entertainment at Dolby Laboratories. "From the energy of the crowd to the emotion on the field, every goal scored, Dolby helps bring fans closer to the experience."

More information is available on the company’s website.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Despite current economic pressures, consumers are watching more video entertainment than in the previous five years, but in a more fragmented media environment, according to TiVo’s Q4 2025 Video Trends Report.

Consumers are watching more video daily than at any time since the 2021 pandemic era, with households returning to an average of more than 10 video services in Q4 2025, TiVo said. This represents peak media consumption following a brief decline in 2024. For the quarter, viewing surpassed five hours per day and monthly entertainment spending rose to $161, reflecting year-over-year growth after a post-pandemic dip.

Looking at consumed content, local programming accounts for nearly 30% of total viewing time, an increase of approximately five percentage points year over year. Sports also remain a key driver of engagement, with nearly 60% of sports viewers relying on pay TV as their primary source. Live and local content continues to anchor viewing behavior in a notably fragmented environment.

“The findings reinforce that video serves as a historically resilient, high-priority category, even as the entertainment landscape grows increasingly fragmented and competitive,” TiVo said.

As entertainment ecosystems continue to expand, viewing preferences remain relatively stable. About half of respondents prefer that streaming services release an entire season at once, compared to roughly 20% who favor a weekly episode rollout, underscoring continued demand for convenience and flexible viewing experiences.

“Consumers are watching more video than ever before, but they’re enjoying that content across an increasingly fragmented mix of platforms and services,” said Geir Skaaden, chief products and services officer at Xperi. “As the entertainment ecosystem continues to expand, helping viewers easily discover and access the content they want has become more important than ever. For advertisers and platforms alike, delivering simple, seamless viewing experiences will be critical to reaching audiences and keeping them engaged.”

While viewing continues to expand across platforms, content discovery remains a growing challenge. As households manage more services, viewers are navigating a complex content ecosystem, with 40% of consumers checking two to three different apps before deciding what to watch. Discovery is also shifting beyond the platforms themselves, with word of mouth (49%) and social media (40%) most often influencing viewers. This reliance on external inputs, combined with increased fragmentation, is making content discovery less efficient and more frustrating for viewers.

“The number of viewing options available to consumers continues to grow, but what is most notable is how audiences are responding to that expansion,” Alan Wolk, TVREV’s co-founder and lead analyst, said. “Consumers are becoming more selective about where they spend their time and money, and entertainment services remain a priority. Live sports and local programming serve as important anchors, while the broader market is shifting toward simpler, more value-conscious viewing choices. The industry is entering a phase where effective curation and discovery matter just as much as scale.”

Additional report highlights:

• Ad-supported growth: More than half of consumers (54%) now use ad-supported subscription tiers, while AVOD/FAST adoption rose to 70% in Q4 2025, up five percentage points year over year. AVOD and FAST services now account for 13% of total viewing time.
• FAST audiences are watching more: The average FAST user now watches 7.5 channels, up more than two channels year over year. Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video remain the leading FAST destinations.
• Discovery extends beyond apps: Smart TV home screens are becoming increasingly important gateways for content discovery and advertising, with owners spending 57% of their non-viewing time on the home screen.
• Consumers are prioritizing value: More than 35% of consumers routinely reassess subscriptions and viewing choices to balance cost, access and content availability.
• Fragmentation fuels discovery challenges: As the number of services grows, 40% of consumers report checking multiple apps before deciding what to watch.

The latest TiVo Video Trends Report (available here) surveyed 4,493 adults 18 and older living in the U.S. and Canada during the fourth quarter of 2025.

MIAMI—Hemisphere Media Group has announced a deal with Amazon’s Prime Video that significantly expands the distribution of its FAST channel WAPA+ by making it available for free on Prime Video.

WAPA+ carries the best-of programming from Puerto Rico’s #1 broadcast network, WAPA-TV.

“Expanding WAPA+ to Prime Video reflects the continued demand for authentic Puerto Rican programming on streaming platforms,” said Alan J. Sokol, president and CEO of Hemisphere Media Group. “WAPA+ is the first FAST channel created to serve Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. mainland with the news, entertainment, and cultural connection they value most from Puerto Rico’s #1 rated TV network. This expansion continues to deepen that connection while extending the reach of our content.”

The addition of WAPA+ to Prime Video is part of Hemisphere’s broader strategy of expanding distribution for culturally relevant Spanish-language FAST content across major connected TV platforms.

WAPA+ delivers a 24/7 lineup of news, entertainment, and lifestyle programming from Puerto Rico, anchored by locally produced content and personalities.

Programming includes NotiCentro América, the first newscast created specifically for Puerto Ricans living in the continental United States, live reality competitions Super Chef Celebrities and ¡Claro que Baila!, as well as entertainment programs, political analysis, sports coverage, reality, movies, comedy, and original productions from WAPA Media.

TORONTO—Lumine Group Inc. has announced that one of its subsidiaries has entered into an agreement to acquire the video network business from Synamedia.

When the deal is completed, Lumine will set up a new independent company operating under the name of its primary product name, Quortex.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Headquartered in the UK, Synamedia is a global provider of video software solutions helping operators, broadcasters and media companies transform how video is delivered, experienced and monetised. With more than 30 years of industry expertise, Synamedia combines cloud and AI technologies, operational scale, managed services, and deep domain knowledge.

“The Synamedia Video Network business will be a meaningful addition to Lumine’s growing media ecosystem,” said Tony Garcia, chief operating officer at Lumine Group. “On completion, this acquisition will deepen our presence in the Media supply chain domain, with particular focus on video processing, broadcast delivery and live streaming. Consistent with Lumine’s decentralization strategy, the business will operate independently under its primary product name, ‘Quortex’. We look forward to welcoming this global team and its customers to Lumine, to share our best practices, and to learn from their decades of industry insight.”

“This transaction on completion will mark an exciting new chapter for both Synamedia and Quortex,” explained Paul Segre, CEO of Synamedia. “This will create two distinct businesses with clear strategic direction and strong category positioning, allowing both to move faster, innovate more effectively and deepen the value they deliver to customers around the world. We look forward to working closely with Lumine over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition for our valued employees, customers and partners.”

Quortex has a proven track record of building and delivering intelligent video solutions across cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments. Customers include broadcasters, media companies, telcos and streamers. Its portfolio and services address some of the industry’s most pertinent challenges today, including preparing for the pending C-Band transition in the U.S., transitioning from satellite to IP, delivering high quality viewing experiences and monetizing services.

The acquisition is anticipated to close in the near future, subject to customary closing conditions and completion of applicable employee consultation processes.

In the wake of the deal, Synamedia said it is embarking on its next chapter by reimagining the future of viewing experiences and launching an integrated portfolio that helps operators grow audiences, accelerate monetization, innovate faster, and simplify operations

Segre explained that “for too long, the video industry has watched the battle for audience attention move elsewhere. Consumer expectations have changed, economic pressures have increased, and operators need new ways to engage viewers, grow audiences, and compete effectively. Synamedia is dedicated to changing that dynamic. By bringing together the engagement and discovery experiences of mobile and the large screen, consumers can enjoy new experiences that were previously unimaginable and our customers, the operators, can win back audiences and thrive again.”

The company noted that its integrated portfolio of Go, Senza, Iris, ContentArmor, and Gravity, combine deep video expertise with next-generation technologies to help operators innovate faster, grow audiences, and compete more effectively in the attention economy.

Synamedia Go delivers streaming, audience engagement, and monetisation across mobile and big-screen experiences. Recently expanded with GO Smart and GO Shorts, it adds machine learning-driven personalisation and short-form content experiences designed to engage new generations of viewers.

Synamedia Senza reimagines the viewing experience through cloud-rendered user interfaces and rapid innovation. With Senza Ignite, operators can transform previously deployed and hardware-constrained devices into modern, continuously evolving viewing platforms without hardware replacement.

Synamedia Iris unlocks new revenue streams through advanced targeted and addressable advertising across broadcast, IP, OTT, and hybrid services, enabling more effective monetisation across every screen.

Beyond Go, Senza, and Iris, Synamedia continues to invest across its broader portfolio to help operators grow audiences, protect profitability, and deliver exceptional viewing experiences. Synamedia’s security portfolio, including ContentArmor’s industry-leading watermarking technology, helps operators protect premium content and stay ahead of piracy, while Synamedia Gravity enhances connectivity through intelligent broadband management to simplify the delivery of broadband services of the highest quality.

“This is a truly exciting time for Synamedia and our industry,” said Dr Tzvi Gerstl, GM Media Cloud Technology, Synamedia. “The pressure to reinvent the viewing experience has never been greater, and our portfolio is now hyper-focused on helping our customers lead that transformation. By bringing together the engagement and discovery experiences audiences embrace on mobile with innovative large-screen experiences powered by cloud and AI, we are enabling operators to redefine video entertainment wherever audiences choose to watch. The battle for attention is far from over, and our platform, technology, and expertise help our customers win it.”

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has announced expansive plans for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage that will provide Xfinity X1 TV subscribers with access to RealTime 4K feeds of all 104 games with Dolby Vision and Atmos, along with a host of features like Multiview, Fan View, AI-powered highlights that will make it easier to find, access, interact and watch the games.

In parallel, Xfinity also announced that it is launching Fox One on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, giving Xfinity Internet customers access to every match in English alongside Peacock’s Spanish-language coverage.

“We’ve been on a deliberate journey to reimagine how fans experience sports in the home, rolling out new capabilities that make watching more immersive, intuitive and aligned with how fans engage today,” Comcast Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Vito Forlenza said. “The World Cup is the latest example of how Xfinity combines premium picture quality, low-latency streaming and interactive features to create a truly standout sports viewing experience, powered by our most intelligent and reliable Wi-Fi.”

The launch builds on efforts by Comcast to improve the live viewing experience for recent high profile events like the Olympics, NFL, the Super Bowl and NBC’s NBA coverage where the operator rolled out higher resolution video formats and features like Multiview, Fan View and AI-powered highlights.

It also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly frustrated by the difficulty of finding content, particularly sporting events, that are airing on a variety of different streaming platforms and Comcast is facing growing competition from mobile providers for broadband subs and pay TV subs.

That makes the new features an important test case in the operator’s efforts to convince consumers that its high-capacity networks can offer a host of features—such as low-latency 4K video and seamless access to both streaming and pay TV content without switching apps—that can’t be matched by competitors.

“The coverage shows we have the technical capabilities, we have the devices, we have the network, we have the wherewithal to provide the best sports experience in the market,” Forlenza said in an interview. “Our FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage is really the visual articulation of the value that we're bringing to our customers.”

As part of the coverage, the operator has created World Soccer Hub. Xfinity TV customers can simply say “World Cup” or “Copa Mundial” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to launch the hub, an aggregated, bicultural tournament destination that brings all live and on demand coverage from across networks and streaming services into one simple, seamless experience. The destination also provides quick access to Xfinity’s most advanced sports viewing features.

Comcast described the other notable features available for its World Cup coverage as follows:

• The fastest stream, sharpest picture and best audio with RealTime4K: All 104 matches from Fox and FS1, plus a match of the day from Telemundo will be available in Xfinity’s new RealTime4K technology. Delivered to the home over Xfinity’s superior network just seconds behind the action on the pitch, RealTime4K offers stunning contrasts, brilliant colors and lifelike detail with Dolby Vision and an immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos.
• Never miss a moment with Create Your Own Multiview: Fans can watch up to four live events at once, selecting from World Cup matches and other simultaneously airing events to build a customized Multiview experience.
• Discover while watching with Fan View: A personalized, interactive companion experience, Fan View gives viewers an easy way to discover and immerse themselves in all the tournament action, without taking their eyes off the big screen. Customers can select their favorite countries to create a tailored viewing experience centered around the action that matters most to them, or browse the latest scores, stats, standings, and odds from across the tournament. Fan View also serves as the launchpad for Xfinity Clips, a new short-form video experience that makes it easy to watch highlights, features and key moments in a format inspired by the simplicity of leading social media platforms.
• Record and catch up quickly with AI Highlights: Available on DVR recordings of Fox’s and Telemundo’s game coverage, AI highlights automatically tag key moments like goals, penalty kicks, and amazing saves so fans can quickly catch up on the biggest action of the day.
• Take the tournament to go with Xfinity Stream and Xfinity Mobile: With the Xfinity Stream app, customers can watch live World Cup matches and coverage wherever they are. And with Xfinity Mobile, they can tap into Xfinity WiFi’s more than 23 million hotspots to get speeds up to 1 Gbps and stay connected to every moment on the go.

The FIFA World Cup also marks the launch of Fox One, the official English-language streaming platform of FIFA World Cup 2026, on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, expanding how Xfinity Internet customers can watch the tournament.

With Fox One now available, streamers can watch every World Cup match in English alongside Spanish-language coverage via Peacock, bringing the entire tournament together in one streamlined, voice enabled experience.

The company also stressed that this coverage is part of its ongoing push to improve the viewing experience for sports fans that will impact its future coverage of the NFL, NBA and other sports.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 also builds on Xfinity’s broader commitment to the global game. Beyond the tournament, Xfinity serves as a year-round destination for soccer, aggregating top European leagues, Latin American competitions, international tournaments, and domestic club matches into a single viewing experience.

It also offers World Soccer Ticket, a video package custom-built for soccer fans that includes nearly 60 channels and Peacock Premium, customers can enjoy more than 1,500 matches from the world’s top leagues, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, LALIGA, Liga MX, the FIFA World Cup, and more, all in one place.

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Streaming SaaS platform provider Frequency has announced the launch of In-Scene Advertising, a new capability that brings contextually intelligent advertising formats directly into the viewing experience across Frequency’s global distribution network.

The solution will have its first public demonstration at The Stream TV Show, June 16-19 2026, Denver, Colorado, where Frequency is a Marquee Sponsor.

Launching with four ad experiences, L-Shape, Double Box, Picture-in-Picture, and Overlay, In-Scene Advertising creates new, premium advertising inventory from programming already in distribution, enabling content owners and distributors to unlock incremental revenue without increasing traditional ad load.

“At Frequency, our role is to help our customers build sustainable streaming businesses,” said Blair Harrison, founder & CEO of Frequency. “In-Scene Advertising creates entirely new monetization opportunities from the channels and content our partners already operate at scale. It’s designed to work seamlessly within the streaming ecosystem today – across existing workflows, infrastructure, and distribution.”

More specifically, Frequency explained that the In-Scene advertising placement is powered by its proprietary scene intelligence technology . Every media asset is analyzed across multiple dimensions - including brand safety, sentiment, viewer attention, visual clarity, category, and scene context - to identify relevant moments for each ad experience. The analysis runs entirely within Frequency's infrastructure.

Built specifically for streaming television, In-Scene Advertising is also compatible with existing Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) infrastructure, ad servers, and measurement providers. Publishers can activate new monetization opportunities without operational changes, while maintaining full control over how inventory is packaged and sold.

Frequency also reported that it supports both direct-sold and programmatic demand models, giving partners flexibility in how they bring these formats to market. Through Frequency’s footprint of over 2,500 live channels distributed across the world’s leading FAST and v/MVPD platforms, publishers can activate In-Scene Advertising at meaningful scale from day one.

As a member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Frequency also stressed that is committed to open industry standards and interoperable advertising infrastructure. Frequency is collaborating with OpenGlass to activate these formats programmatically, with other leading demand partners soon to follow.

“OpenGlass is the first platform designed to bring premium, direct demand for all advanced CTV formats from L-Shape to picture-in-picture,” said Jason Higgins, co-founder and CEO of OpenGlass. “We’re thrilled to partner with Frequency, whose scale, rendering infrastructure, and Scene Intelligence capabilities make them uniquely positioned to deliver these experiences for content owners looking to unlock new revenue from existing channels.”

In-Scene Advertising is available now to Frequency channel partners and distributors. Content owners interested in activating the service can contact Frequency to discuss deployment and monetization options.

The Frequency team will be on the ground at The Stream TV Show, 16-19 June, Denver, Colorado, and at Cannes Lions, 22-26 June, Cannes, France. Visit www.frequency.com/streamtv to book a meeting.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku and the National Hockey League have announced a new deal to create and launch the NHL Zone, a new destination within the Roku Sports experience for hockey fans.

Launching ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final (with Game 1 set for June 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC), NHL Zone will serve as a centralized hub on Roku for NHL national and regional games available in the user’s area, plus highlights and more.

“With NHL Zone, we’re making it easier than ever for hockey fans to get straight to what matters most, plus so much more, all in one place,” Roku Media Head of Sports Joe Franzetta said. “At Roku, we always put viewers first, giving them a clear, simple destination for all their favorite channels and platforms, game highlights and recaps, and all the other great programming offered by Roku.”

The agreement builds on an existing alliance between the league and the streaming platform, which has already led to the launch of the NHL FAST Channel on Roku.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Roku, first with the NHL FAST channel and now NHL Zone, as we continue to create new and innovative ways to serve our passionate fans,” NHL Chief Media Officer David Proper said. “NHL Zone provides NHL fans with a go-to destination for Roku users to discover all the exciting NHL action offered on Roku and from our rightsholders.”

Presented by Geico, NHL Zone offers quick access to:

• National and regional NHL games available in the user’s area, which can be watched if the users has a subscription to the networks, pay TV platform or streaming services that have rights to the games.
• NHL FAST Channel.
• Scores, highlights recaps, and must-see moments
• Additional long-form hockey programming.

In the run up to the start of FIFA World Cup 2026, Roku has launched Soccer Zone, a centralized hub, bringing together live games, real-time scores, match reminders, and more in one location.

In partnership with Fox One, the official English-language streaming partner of the tournament, the destination simplifies streaming discovery by showing every live match available across apps viewers are already subscribed to, including Fox One and Peacock, while also offering direct subscription sign-up options through Roku.

The Zone will be available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, Roku also announced that it is introducing its first-ever hardware and subscription bundle in partnership with Fox One. The exclusive offer, which is available exclusively on Roku.com while supplies last, includes a Roku Streaming Stick Plus and a 30-day extended free trial of Fox One for $24.99.

Soccer Zone will also feature free, ad-supported content from FAST channels including Fox Sports and FIFA+, alongside live score updates and tournament coverage designed to keep fans connected throughout the competition.

Roku described the other features as follows:

• A special stats tracker following the tournament’s top goal scorers and assist leaders
• Live scores and a dynamic score strip with match updates
• Favorites, so you can follow your preferred teams and opt-in for reminders on your mobile device
• Free, ad-supported content from relevant FAST channels like Fox Sports & FIFA+
• Easier discovery. Instead of hunting through different apps, the users can find every live match in one place and easily see the soccer content available on apps they already pay for, like Fox One or Peacock, to start watching with one click.
• It also offers users a streamlined way to sign up for services using their Roku account to get access to games and content.
• Eligible customers can also sign up for a 3-day free trial to Fox One on The Roku Channel to start watching right away.

CHICAGO—NewsNation has opened a new digital podcasting studio in Chicago and announced a new lineup of podcasts and digital programming, including Hot Take with Jesse Weber, NewsNation’s Unreported with Meagan Medick, Prove it with Batya!, and The Scoop with Paula Froelich.

The expansion is part of a digital first strategy and reflects an effort to reach audiences who increasingly turn to YouTube and on-demand platforms for news, analysis, and entertainment.

NewsNation the state-of-the-art podcast studio in Chicago complements its existing operations in New York and Washington, D.C.

The space features advanced production capabilities to enhance both video and audio storytelling across multiple platforms, including a four-camera set-up and dual microphone configuration. Overlooking iconic Chicago landmarks such as Lake Michigan and Navy Pier, the studio combines high-end production with a visually striking backdrop for digital content creation.

The new slate joins other popular podcasts from the network, including “Reality Check with Ross Coulthart”, “Bradley on the Border with Ali Bradley”, “Missing with Marni Hughes”, and “Truth of the Matter.”

The push into digital storytelling and podcasting has already made NewsNation, which only launched its YouTube channel in May 2020, the newest publisher included in the Top 75, ranking #74 with 2.7 million subscribers and nearly 2 billion views since launch, according to the Press Gazette.

As more media companies push into video podcasting, TV Tech, Radio World and TVBEurope has recently launched a new ebook, "Eye-Catching Audio: New Video Podcast Ebook". It is available here.

NewsNation described the new slate of digital programming and podcasts as follows:

• NewsNation’s "Unreported with Meagan Medick" builds on the success of "Reality Check", which has ranked among the top 100 podcasts on YouTube and surpassed more than 100 million views since its March 2024 launch. The new video podcast, hosted by Ms. Medick, explores overlooked and unconventional topics like AI, from paranormal phenomena and ghost hunters to Bigfoot and other enduring mysteries. New episodes will premiere every Wednesday, offering bold perspectives and interesting stories that continue to spark widespread intrigue.
• The network also launched "Prove it with Batya!" hosted by Batya Ungar-Sargon, anchor of Batya! (Saturdays, 7 p.m. ET). The hour-long podcast is designed as a destination for thoughtful political and cultural debate, featuring a dialogue-driven format that brings together leading voices for spirited, issue-focused conversations. Viewers can also participate live and interact directly with the host. The program streams live Monday through Thursday.
• The network is also introducing "Hot Take with Jesse Weber", premiering every Tuesday and Thursday on YouTube. The show offers an entertainment-driven perspective on the week’s most talked about topics. Drawing on Mr. Weber’s experience covering high-profile legal and cultural stories on his program, Jesse Weber Live (weeknights, 11 p.m. ET), the program blends timely political and cultural commentary with a fast-paced, engaging format. Viewers will also have the opportunity to engage directly through comments or questions.
• Rounding out the slate is "The Scoop with Paula Froelich". It will be a new weekly entertainment podcast hosted by Senior Story Producer Paula Froelich, a former New York Post gossip columnist. The podcast will deliver the latest in entertainment, pop culture, and celebrity news, leveraging Ms. Froelich’s extensive industry experience and connections.

NEW YORK—CBS Sports has announced that Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women’s Super League matches through the 2029-2030 season.

Beginning with coverage in September 2026, Paramount+ will live stream 183 matches each season, the most matches in the newly expanded competition’s history. CBS Sports Network will air one match per week with select matches also airing on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

In addition to CBS Sports’ coverage of live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide Barclays Women’s Super League coverage on its dedicated women’s soccer show “Attacking Third”, alongside its other studio programming “Morning Footy”, “Golazo Matchday” and “Scoreline”.

With the addition of England’s top women’s league, CBS Sports bolsters its women’s soccer rights across CBS, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Those rights now include the NWSL, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Concacaf W Champions Cup, Concacaf W Gold Cup, Concacaf W Championship, Concacaf W Nations League, Serie A Femminile and select UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.

The deal was negotiated by WSL Football’s international media rights representative, IMG.

As streaming TV continues reshaping the global media landscape, new research from DoubleVerify shows that marketers are increasing investment across the world’s largest streaming platforms, with YouTube leading the way.

The findings are part of DV’s newly released 2026 Global Insights report, “Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift From Promise to Performance,” which draws on proprietary DV measurement data spanning billions of impressions from DV-protected campaigns. It also uses controlled tests where protection controls were not applied, as well as surveys of more than 2,000 marketers and 22,000 consumers across more than 20 global markets.

Key findings include:

• 70% of marketers said they increased streaming investment in YouTube over the last year
• 65% increased investment in Netflix
• 59% increased investment in Amazon Prime
• 48% increased investment in Samsung streaming environments
• The findings underscore the continued acceleration of advertiser investment into premium streaming TV environments as marketers look to reach increasingly fragmented audiences across connected TV (“CTV”) platforms.

“Globally, streaming TV has become a core part of the modern media mix,” said Collette Spagnolo, vice president of marketing, integrated marketing and analytics at DoubleVerify. “Marketers are recognizing the value of platforms where consumers are spending more of their viewing time, particularly environments that can deliver both scale and measurable business outcomes.”

The report also reflects broader industry momentum around streaming TV as advertisers seek greater performance, transparency, and engagement in premium video environments.

Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift From Promise to Performance, the first of DV’s 2026 Global Insights reports, is now available here.

HUNT VALLEY, Md.—In another example of how broadcasters are embracing video podcasting, Sinclair’s AMP Sports will launch"Style of Play", a new weekly women’s soccer podcast hosted by Julie Ertz and Kealia Watt. The series will kick off on June 2, across all major podcast platforms, with full video episodes available on YouTube.

[Editor’s note: Learn more about podcasting and why many media outlets are embracing the trend towards video podcasting in our new ebook, ‘Eye-Catching Audio'.]

Ertz, a two-time Women’s World Cup champion and one of the most decorated players in U.S. soccer history, and Watt, a NCAA Division I national champion, will bring expert analysis, personal storytelling, and behind-the-scenes insight, Sinclair said. Each episode will explore the latest women’s soccer headlines, key moments shaping the sport and feature conversations with athletes, coaches and influential voices from across the global soccer landscape.

“The growth of women’s soccer is undeniable, and ‘Style of Play’ gives us an opportunity to connect fans with the voices and perspectives of athletes who have competed at the very highest level,” Rob Weisbord, Sinclair chief operating officer and president of local media, said. “We’re especially pleased to launch the show during the World Cup, at a time when global interest in the sport is growing. Fans will have the opportunity to hear unique insights and commentary from two of the top former U.S. Women’s National Team players, Julie and Kealia, whose credibility, authenticity and deep understanding of the game make this podcast a natural extension of how we’re continuing to expand our sports content and engage audiences across platforms.”

Sponsors for “Style of Play” include Coors Light, Airbnb and ZipRecruiter.

Style of Play expands AMP Sports’ growing portfolio of original programming, including “The Triple Option,” “Unfiltered Soccer,” “Post Moves,” “Throwbacks” and “Cousins.”

SAN JOSE—In the first significant update in over a decade, Roku has unveiled a new home screen it says introduces a more dynamic, smarter experience.

On May 27, the new home screen began rolling out across all U.S. Roku TVs and streaming devices. Expansion to additional countries will follow in the coming months.

The home screen redesign is based on deep behavioral insights and viewer input the company says results in more relevant recommendations and faster pathways to content.

The update maintains the simplicity that has long been a signature Roku design philosophy, the streamer said, while helping viewers more easily find their next favorite show.

“When we set out to rethink the Home Screen, we knew we should listen to the people who use it every day. So we talked to the viewers, we tested extensively, and we pushed until the design and the data lined up for a meaningful update,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku. “Now, our new Home Screen puts entertainment at the center of everything, while staying true to Roku’s simple, intuitive roots. More than 100 million households will feel the difference the moment they turn on their TV—and it opens up a better, more powerful experience for our partners as well.”

For example, a majority of streamers (82%) told the streamer that they would love it if they turned on their TV and the show they wanted to watch was right on their Home Screen. The new Roku Home Screen does just that, recommending content based on the user’s interests. With billions of possible Home Screen combinations, Roku’s intelligence models pick the best one for each viewer every time they turn on their TV.

Roku describes other key new features as follows:

• Quick Access to most-used apps, continuously adapting to your routine.
• An intelligence-driven and expanded content-first “Top Picks for You” section.
• New genre-based destinations such as For You, built on your interests and filled with fresh personalized picks, and Subscriptions, allowing for a convenient way to browse and discover from across all your subscriptions in one place.
• Search in key destinations with relevant suggestions and results.
• A streamlined collapsible menu.
• Elevated shortcuts for everyday actions, including Save List, Continued Watching and more.
• Your Daily Scoop, a dynamic row that brings users a curated digest of breakout shows and cultural trends.
• A Roku City tile, taking users to an interactive version of the popular screensaver.

AudioShake said it will launch its Copyright Compliance System, an end-to-end workflow for detecting, identifying, removing and documenting copyrighted music in mixed media files.

The Copyright Compliance System is already in use across broadcast, sports, postproduction and rights administration, with early customers including ESPN, NFL Films, Jaywalker Music, CrunchLabs, Music Reports and amp, the company said.

The technology combines several manual processes into one automated system, helping studios, broadcasters, sports teams and other distributors use enormous volumes of library content that can’t be redistributed because copyrighted music is baked into the original sound mix, according to AudioShake.

Music copyright compliance is a meaningful bottleneck in monetizing and distributing such content on FAST channels and streaming platforms, AudioShake said.

The AudioShake modular system allows customers to use the full pipeline or adopt individual components (detection, identification, removal) inside their existing workflow. Extending upon AudioShake’s Music Removal model, the Copyright Compliance System combines:

• Music detection, flagging whether music is present in a piece of content, including noisy, fully-mixed audio where music is buried under dialogue, crowd noise and effects. This helps downstream cue sheet teams know where music is present and where to fill out the relevant information.
• Music identification, isolating the music in any media file and identifing the artist, song title, album, label, release date and ISRC for each segment. Teams can quickly QC the identified music, combine repeated segments and correct start and end times to accelerate cue sheet creation and approval.
• Music removal, removing music from a clip while preserving dialogue, ambient sound and effects. In scenarios such as social distribution, archival relicensing, or platforms where rights would otherwise create friction, AudioShake opens the downstream path for rightsholders to license replacement tracks, swap in their own catalog or recoup royalties for music that previously went unreported.

One early user is ESPN, which manages a vast library of live, archival, and digital content, AudioShake said. Constraints such as copyrighted arena and walkout music, expired licenses on archival programming and dialogue embedded into crowd noise have historically limited what content ESPN could distribute and how quickly it could do so, AudioShake said.

ESPN uses AudioShake to remove or isolate copyrighted music from sports highlights, preserving original commentary and crowd noise, and to accelerate the turnaround of rights-cleared assets across television, streaming, digital and social platforms. Similarly, NFL Films and the NHL’s Calgary Flames use AudioShake to clear sports clips and game footage for broadcast and social distribution, where music rights would otherwise create friction.

AudioShake said its solution addresses music-licensing problems that have restricted distribution of digital properties like ESPN’s “The Ocho.” Previously unusable content can be distributed across new platforms and to new audiences, extending its lifespan and the reach of ESPN’s archives, AudioShake said.

ESPN used this capability in a 2026 Super Bowl ad. AudioShake isolated the voice of Phil Simms, the Super Bowl MVP quarterback of the 1986 New York Giants, saying “I’m gonna go to Disney World” in the famous 1986 postgame commercial for Walt Disney World. Because of ambient in-stadium music, licensing the full clip would have been cost-prohibitive for just a few seconds of a 60-second commercial. AudioShake removed the ambient music and extracted Simms’ vocal, making the clip usable.

“As ESPN continues to expand the ways we reach and serve sports fans in an age of content abundance, it’s important to lean into groundbreaking technology solutions that can help us bring the right content to the fans that want it as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Kevin Lopes, vice president, business development and innovation, ESPN. “Working with AudioShake to leverage their innovative audio separation lets us unlock more content for fans by accelerating and modernizing workflows and ensuring we can deliver more high-quality sports content to fans wherever they are.”

More information is available here and here.

LONDON—A new study from Ampere Analysis highlights a pain point for consumers as streaming services push to increase profits—audiences are waiting longer than ever for the return of their favorite original shows.

The average gap between seasons of scripted originals has almost doubled from 12 months in 2020 to 21 months in 2025, according to Ampere.

The U.K. researcher also found that while audiences remain loyal to hit titles such as Apple TV’s “Severance” and Netflix’s “Wednesday,” longer waits could fuel more subscriber churn if platforms fail to keep viewers engaged.

At the 2022 height of the streaming boom, the study found, major platforms released some 599 seasons of scripted original shows, compared to a combined 591 from 2015 to 2019.. But the demand for high-end, blockbuster-style content has significantly extended production timelines. In 2020, major SVOD platforms took an average of 12 months to release new seasons of original scripted shows. By 2025, the average wait had almost doubled to 21 months.

"Many original shows build highly dedicated audiences that remain loyal despite increasingly long waits between seasons,” Ampere Senior Analyst Christen Tamisin, said. “However, streamers need to balance blockbuster production timelines against a steady flow of content. Extended gaps may generate anticipation around flagship titles, but they can also encourage audiences to cancel subscriptions and return only when major shows are back on screen."

Other key findings include:

• Original shows with gaps of over 30 months between seasons have achieved the highest engagement in the premiere month of the new season. Shows including Apple TV’s “Severance” and Netflix’s “Wednesday” generated almost twice the average engagement levels despite lengthy waits between seasons.
• Genre matters. Sci-fi and fantasly titles, often involving complex, high-budget productions, perform strongly despite long waits between seasons. By contrast, comedy audiences are less willing to tolerate extended gaps, while crime and thriller content performs consistently across a range of release patterns.
• The long gaps between seasons may actually lead to higher engagement. Existing audiences often rewatch earlier seasons to refresh their memories, while new audiences continue discovering shows during the gap between releases.
• Viewing of Netflix megahit “Stranger Things” rose by 300% in the second half of 2025 ahead of the release of its fifth and final season. Particularly strong viewing for Season 1 suggests both new viewers discovering the series and existing fans revisiting earlier episodes.
• Despite strong engagement around returning shows, long gaps create risk. In Q1 2026 in the U.S., 54% of respondents said they would be likely to cancel a service subscription if they were not using it often enough. Long waits between seasons leave streaming platforms vulnerable to churn and encourage audiences to subscribe only when their favorite shows return.

MILAN—Streaming tech providers Brightcove announced two new capabilities in its AI Suite for video advertising: AI Contextual Ads and Smart Ad Breaks.

Both features are now available to customers.

"AI has transformed a lot of the video workflow over the past two years, captions, transcripts, metadata generation," said Facundo Alvarez Morales, product lead at Brightcove. "With AI Contextual Ads and Smart Ad Breaks, we're bringing it to a different layer: the decisions inside the platform that decide what a video earns. That's where we believe AI should be working hardest in this industry."

The two capabilities join a Brightcove AI Suite that has seen improvements relating to captions, transcripts, metadata generation, and content discovery in the past year.

Brightcove is also reporting that it plans twenty major releases in the last twelve months, including Prism, a fully redesigned interface launched in the past weeks.

The launch arrives at a moment of structural change in the advertising market, Brightcove executives said in making the announcement. The global contextual advertising market is on track to reach $258 billion in 2026 and $379 billion by 2030, driven by the deprecation of third-party cookies and the demand for brand-safe environments.

In addition, connected TV is the fastest-growing premium ad format, with the US market reaching $33.5 billion in 2026, a 28% year-over-year increase that outpaces every other established digital channel.

The rapid growth of both contextual advertising and connected TV put pressure on the ability of platforms to maintain the quality of the contextual signal feeding the ad call, and the precision of the moment the ad is placed, Brightcove explained.

The two new features are designed to help users overcome those problems.

AI Contextual Ads reads video content scene by scene and categorizes it against the IAB contextual taxonomy at both the video and scene level. The resulting signals are passed into the ad server at the moment of the ad call, giving advertisers contextual targeting at the resolution of the individual scene rather than the asset as a whole, a single video can pass different signals to different ad breaks. The ad selection mechanism itself does not change; what changes is that scene-level contextual becomes a real input alongside the dozens already weighed by the ad server.

Smart Ad Breaks analyses each video and recommends mid-roll cue point positions based on natural pauses, scene transitions, and brand safety signals. Editorial teams review and approve the suggestions before they go live.

"Scene-level contextual targeting at scale runs into one practical problem: the manual effort it takes to produce the signal." said Janpaul Pescollderungg, product manager at Brightcove. "AI Contextual Ads removes that bottleneck, and Smart Ad Breaks lets editorial teams scale their judgment across the library rather than the slice they have time to watch. The result is the heavy lifting comes off the team, and the judgment stays where it belongs."

NEVADA CITY, Calif.—Media workflow and processing provider Telestream has tapped Benjamin Desbois as CEO.

Debsbois, currently the company’s chief growth and strategy officer, will take over as CEO on July 1. He succeeds Dan Castles, Telestream’s co-founder and longtime CEO, who will shift to executive chair of the board as part of a planned transition.

“Telestream has always been built on trust—trust in our people, trust in our products and trust in the customer relationships that have defined this company for nearly three decades,” Castles said. “Benjamin understands that foundation deeply. He knows our customers, our markets and our technology, and he brings the leadership experience and industry credibility needed to guide Telestream into its next chapter.

“I am confident he is the right person to lead the company forward and I look forward to supporting him and the team in my role as executive chair,” he added.

Desbois has held leadership roles across the media and entertainment technology sector for over two decades, Telestream said. As chief growth and strategy officer, he was tasked with advancing Telestream’s go-to-market strategy and reinforcing its position as a trusted partner to broadcasters, content owners, sports franchises, postproduction teams, service providers and enterprises, the company said.

Desbois has also served as Telestream’s chief revenue officer, a job he left in 2023. He later held senior executive roles at Backlight, Avid Technology and Dalet, where he led commercial, product and strategic initiatives focused on media workflows, customer transformation and business growth, the company said.

“Telestream has an extraordinary legacy, and I am honored to take on this role at such an important moment for the company and the industry,” Desbois said. “Dan and the team have built a company with deep customer trust and exceptional technology. As AI and cloud reshape how media is made and delivered, my focus is to build on that foundation while accelerating our innovation in intelligent, AI-driven, and cloud-native workflows, ensuring our customers have the agility and confidence they need to thrive in a changing media landscape.”

Castles will continue as Telestream’s CEO through July 1 and the executive leadership team will also remain in their current roles, the company said.

As executive chair, Castles will support Desbois and the company’s board and executive leadership team on strategic direction, customer relationships and long-term value creation, Telestream said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. and LOS ANGELES—Roku has launched Fox One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel, which means U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to the streaming service that offers Fox news, sports and entertainment content by using their Roku account.

The launch makes it possible for Fox One subscribers and U.S. Roku users to stream all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup via The Roku Channel live or on demand.

“Fox One is a tremendous addition to Roku’s Premium Subscriptions experience, which is focused on making it easier for customers to discover, subscribe to, and stream the content they love all in one place,” said Gil Fuchsberg, president of subscriptions, partnerships and corporate development at Roku. “The addition of Fox One expands the premium entertainment, news, and live sports available through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel ahead of the biggest global sports moment of the year.”

Fox One provides access to the full portfolio of Fox brands, including popular Fox entertainment series including “MasterChef,” “Doc” and “Family Guy;” live and on-demand sports events from the NFL, Major League Baseball and others; and live national and local news from Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network and local Fox broadcast affiliates.

Live sports content from Fox One will also be discoverable through Roku Sports Zone as well as through sports-specific destinations, including the Soccer Zone.

Discoverable across the Roku platform and through The Roku Channel, Premium Subscriptions allows customers to easily subscribe to more than 75 popular streaming services using their Roku account, the company said. Premium Subscriptions customers can access and stream their entertainment with a single login on their Roku device, the Roku mobile app, or the web, and can add or cancel services at any time directly from their device or by visiting my.roku.com.

Roku customers can sign up for Fox One on The Roku Channel in the U.S. for $19.99 per month. A three-day free trial of Fox One is also available for eligible customers. Sign-up is supported on Roku devices or by visiting go.roku.com/fox-one.

NEW YORK—As the political debate over the amount of major sports on streaming platforms continues to heat up, a new analysis by Gracenote shows that sports has quickly become a foundational part of the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) content mix and now makes up 5% of overall programming on leading services.

That is a major change from just 18 months ago. In November 2024, sports made up just 1.4% of the Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+ catalogs, according to the inaugural Gracenote Data Hub analysis. In the past 18 months, these five providers have more than doubled that distribution to 3.3%. With HBO Max now included in Gracenote’s analysis, sports rises to 5% of all content. There are now nearly 38,500 sports shows, episodes, sports games and events on the leading global SVOD services.

HBO Max currently offers the most sports content among major global streamers tracked by the Gracenote Data Hub, accounting for 35% of available sports. At the individual game and event level, HBO Max offers 42% of sports content.

After HBO Max, the next most sports-heavy destinations are Amazon Prime Video (25%), Netflix (16%) and Disney+ (14%). Focusing on the individual game and event level, Paramount+ emerged as the leader in sports programming in the Q1 2026 Data Hub, released in February. Now, Paramount+ is home to 30% of games, events and sports show episodes.

Newly added HBO Max jumps ahead of Paramount+ by offering 42% of this sports content. Paramount Skydance’s impending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery should make the new combined company a key player for streaming sports content globally.

Another key finding from the Q2 update is the number of FAST channels has increased by 19% year-over-year. Entertainment, sports, news and reality are the most predominant channel genres, with news channels exhibiting the most annual growth (57%) year-over-year. At the same time, FAST serves as a significant distribution channel for live sports from all over the world. More than one-third of content on sports channels on FAST (37%) is live sports events.

The Gracenote Data Hub analysis was expanded to include HBO Max as of the just released Q2 2026 update. Going forward, the service’s programming will be tracked quarterly alongside that of Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+.

Launched in November 2024, the Gracenote Data Hub provides insight into the content available on the now six leading global SVOD services and 2,120 FAST channels. The resource taps Gracenote Global Video Data, the industry’s most comprehensive trove of content intelligence powering advanced content search, discovery and recommendations capabilities. Updated quarterly, the resource tracks how leading SVOD catalogs and FAST channels are evolving over time and what these shifts signal.

For more information, visit Gracenote.com.

IRVINE, Calif.—Viant Technology Inc. has announced a new partnership with Ad Fontes Media, the news ratings data and technology company, that will make it the first and only DSP to enable news reliability-based targeting within news inventory on connected TVs.

The integration is designed to address the potential problems facing advertisers who are increasingly worried about associating their campaigns with news content that may upset some consumers in a highly polarized political environment. That dynamic has caused some to pull back from making buys with news outlets.

"Advertisers don't need to avoid news, but they do need better tools to navigate it," said Vanessa Otero, founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media. "This partnership with Viant gives advertisers a consistent, data-driven way to evaluate content quality. And because our analysis can extend beyond the domain or app level to content as it goes live, advertisers gain a more granular way to target trusted news environments."

To address that issue, Viant and Ad Fontes pair premium inventory access with the content-level intelligence needed to activate it with confidence and precision.

In announcing the offering, Viant said that Ad Fontes Media has built its reputation helping major brands navigate news content with confidence.

"We use Ad Fontes Media to ensure our advertising reaches all audiences across the political spectrum because we make cars for everyone," said Shenan Reed, global chief media officer at General Motors. "Ad Fontes Media also helps ensure that those ads show up in reliable publications."

News audiences are among the most attentive and engaged in advertising, yet the category remains one of the most avoided.

Viant noted that brands pulling back are leaving measurable performance on the table: ads in news environments receive 20% more attention and drive 77% higher brand recall, according to a recent study from Teads and Lumen Research.

With 2026 on track to be the most expensive midterm cycle in U.S. history, the news environment has never been more crowded, more contested, or more consequential for brands trying to navigate it.

By integrating Ad Fontes Media's Reliability and Bias framework directly into the Viant advertising platform, advertisers can now identify and activate against trusted news programming at the content level, connecting that investment directly to real household-level outcomes.

Brands leveraging Ad Fontes' high-quality inventory, which excludes low-quality news through AI-powered segments, typically achieve approximately 60% lower Cost Per Acquisition and 50%+ higher conversion rates within contextually aligned environments.

The partnership directly addresses a persistent problem in programmatic advertising. Brands have long been forced to navigate a market cluttered with made-for-advertising sites, downstream resold inventory, and low-quality content mislabeled as news, leading many to pull back from the category entirely and leaving high-quality, trusted news environments underutilized and underpriced.

"Through Viant's partnership with Ad Fontes, advertisers can reach the most relevant audiences while ensuring their ads appear in trusted, high-quality news environments. This puts premium supply back to work at scale. For brands that have been sitting on the sidelines of news, the calculus has changed," said Richie Hyden, senior vice president of publisher solutions at Viant.

The integration is now available within the Viant ad platform, with activation spanning live news programming across leading CTV publishers.

More information is available at viantinc.com.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—As consumers face mounting costs and higher inflation rates, with some major streaming services now costing more than $20 a month, new research indicates that consumers are paying more attention to bundles as a way of controlling their streaming costs.

Hub Entertainment Research’s annual “Best Bundle” study indicates that streaming prices are rising and consumers are feeling the pinch. Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max have all raised their prices $1-$2 a month since 2025, focusing consumers to be more budget-conscious.

In response, the Hub survey found that half of consumers "strongly agree" that budget is the main factor they consider when buying entertainment services, up significantly from 41% last year.

In addition, more consumers believe that streamers are raising their prices more often compared to last year (49% vs. 44%).

"Studios know that bundles deliver stronger retention and reduce churn, giving them huge incentives to get consumers to sign on to these stickier bundles," says Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant at Hub. "While saving money is the key driver, reminding consumers of the expanded content options and simplified billing can help to grow these bundles into the ideal TV packages of tomorrow."

The survey also found that for consumers, streaming bundles are not just about saving money—they also expand viewing options and simplify billing. Nearly half of consumers (44%) cited the simplicity of having one bill for multiple subscriptions as a top value driver for bundles.

Being able to "try more services" (32%) and bringing together "popular & niche services in one plan" (20%) are also key value drivers.

But the researchers also cautioned that bundle awareness has room to grow.

At most, only half of consumers have heard of the major streaming bundles, led by the Disney and HBO Max bundle variations. Second-tier streamer and sports bundles are recognized by just 1 out of 5 consumers.

As Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery more towards merging their operations and streaming offerings, the research found that consumers are split on how they might buy a Paramount+ and HBO Max bundle in the future. A third (32%) say they would subscribe to both services separately if offered together as a discounted bundle

Only one-in-five (19%) say they would subscribe to a single, combined service that had HBO Max and Paramount+ content in one app.

These findings are from Hub’s 2026 “Best Bundle” report, based on a survey conducted among 1,600 US consumers ages 16-74 with broadband access. Interviews were conducted in March 2026. A free excerpt of the findings is available on Hub’s website.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku has launched Creators, a new entertainment destination that will give users an easier way to discover and stream creator content on the platform in the U.S.

New destination aggregates must-hear podcasts, viral challenges, and more creator content while expanding premium creator programming in The Roku Channel with new content and FAST channels from creators.

"With the launch of our new Creators destination, we're making it effortless to enjoy creator content the way it deserves to be watched: on the big screen, in stunning quality, without the hassle of searching across a dozen different apps,” said Lisa Holme, head of content, Roku Media.

In addition to bringing Roku users the unified Creators destination, Roku is expanding its existing lineup of creator partnerships for The Roku Channel with new FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels from popular creators and podcasters.

These include Prof G Podcast Network, Modern Wisdom Podcast with Chris Williamson, Preston & Brianna[MM1] , Stokes Twins, and Nomad Travel. More creators including iShowSpeed, Jesser, and the Kalogeras Sisters are set to join in the coming months. This content will join existing creator programming already available on The Roku Channel including Alan Chikin Chow, MrBeast[MM2] , Good Mythical Morning, Hot Ones, and more.

“Roku has supported creator content for years, and that foundation uniquely positions us to help creators and partners reach even more viewers,” added Holme. “We're not asking creators to start from scratch on another platform. We're connecting the dots across our ecosystem, helping creators reach the 100-plus million households already streaming on Roku.”

To access the Creators destination, users can scroll to the Categories section and click "More" to access the Creators tile. Viewers will be able to jump into creator programming quickly and seamlessly via dedicated rows for trending content, genres, and personalized recommendations.

Additionally, there will be a dedicated Creators page within The Roku Channel that centralizes all creator content available on the streaming service.