MONTREAL—Haivision has released its seventh annual Broadcast Transformation Report, with remote production tech and AI dominating the trends.
Based on input from more than 1,300 broadcast professionals worldwide, Haivision—a global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and visual collaboration solutions—says the 2026 report offers "a broad-reaching snapshot of adoption trends, ongoing challenges, and emerging areas of innovation shaping the industry. The findings highlight continued focus on remote production, increased usage of SRT, growing reliance on cellular networks, AI adoption, and the dominance of SDI, reflecting an industry balancing modernization with operational realities."
The report examines how broadcasters are adapting workflows, infrastructure, and technology investments as they balance modernization efforts with operational constraints.
Key Broadcast Trends:
- Remote production dominates tech priorities: For several years now, broadcasters have identified enabling remote production as their leading technology focus for the next 12 months. In fact, it has consistently ranked as the top choice in the report for the past four years, with 41% of respondents citing it as their biggest technology priority in 2026.
- SRT celebrates 5 years at #1: Since the report’s debut in 2020, SRT usage has steadily grown in broadcast workflows, ranking as the most widely used video transport protocol over the last five years. SRT adoption climbed from 47% in 2020 to 78% in 2026 – a 31% increase overall.
- Broadcasters embrace cellular for live video contribution and redundancy: Broadcasters are increasingly relying on cellular networks in their live video contribution workflows. In 2026, 54% of respondents reported using cellular networks for live video contribution, up from 46% in 2025. When using fiber as their primary network for remote production workflows, cellular networks are the leading choice for redundancy, with 61% of respondents using them for backup to fiber.
- AI tops list as most impactful future technology: While AI usage among broadcasters rose slightly from last year’s report (increasing from 25% in 2025 to 27% in 2026), the outlook for AI is very strong. 64% of respondents cited it as the technology expected to have the greatest impact on broadcast production over the next five years.
- SMPTE ST 2110 adoption is growing, but SDI still dominates: SMPTE ST 2110 adoption is rising, however SDI remains the backbone of most broadcast operations. This year, 30% of respondents reported using ST 2110, up from 26% in 2025. Despite these advances, SDI is dominant, with 82% of respondents leveraging SDI infrastructure.
“Broadcasters continue to evolve their workflows while navigating operational and financial realities,” said Marcus Schioler, Vice President of Marketing at Haivision. “With record participation in this year’s survey, the report reflects a broad industry perspective balancing innovation with operational reality, where reliability, flexibility, and efficient contribution workflows are essential to supporting future growth.”
Haivision says the findings reflect an industry increasingly relying on hybrid workflows that combine established and emerging technologies. While SDI remains foundational, IP-based contribution, cloud-enabled workflows, and cellular connectivity continue to shape the future of live production.
The 2026 Haivision Broadcast Transformation Report is available for download here: https://www3.haivision.com/broadcast-report-2026-pr
