TV Decline Continues at Tele Columbus as Internet Delivers Growth
Tele Columbus reported 2025 revenue of €422.7 million (≈$465 million), a 0.8% YoY dip, while internet and telephony sales surged 13.1% to €235.3 million (≈$259 million). The internet subscriber base grew 5.7% to 742,000 and average revenue per user jumped to €21.31 (≈$23.4). Cable TV RGUs fell 6% to 1.03 million, pulling total customers down 3.7% to 1.33 million. Capital expenditure was cut 34% to €173.9 million (≈$191 million), yet gigabit‑capable homes rose by about 180,000, and normalized EBITDA slipped 9.7% to €168.4 million (≈$185 million).
AFLE Appoints DMC Germany as International Production Partner
The American Football League Europe (AFLE) has named DMC Production Germany as its international TV production partner for the league’s inaugural 2026 season. DMC will deliver the world feed for all 36 regular‑season and playoff games across six countries, using...
Warner Bros. Discovery Extends German DTT Distribution for DMAX and Eurosport
Warner Bros. Discovery has renewed its distribution agreement with German DTT operator Media Broadcast, keeping DMAX HD and Eurosport 1 HD on the DVB‑T2 Freenet TV platform through 2030. The extension guarantees that both channels will continue to be available in high‑definition via terrestrial broadcast for subscribers....
France 24 Launches on Freely as UK Distribution Expands Beyond Freeview
France 24 has launched its English‑language news service on Freely, appearing on channel 306 and complementing its existing Freeview slot on channel 255. The rollout, powered by Synapse TV technology, gives the broadcaster a managed migration path from traditional digital terrestrial television to the...
Paramount-WBD Deal Raises Questions over SkyShowtime Future
Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could upend the SkyShowtime joint venture, as the deal would place HBO Max—already active in most of SkyShowtime’s 22 European markets—under the same corporate umbrella. Lawyers are reviewing the partnership’s shareholder agreement, which...
Polsat Reclaims Second Place in Polish Viewing Rankings
Polsat reclaimed the No. 2 slot in Nielsen’s April Polish content distributor rankings, pushing public broadcaster TVP to third. Warner Bros. Discovery held the top spot for the fifth consecutive month. The report, which aggregates viewing across TV, computers and mobile devices, noted...
ITV Launches Live Addressable+ with Omnicom
ITV has introduced Live Addressable+, its first addressable advertising solution for live linear channels, in an exclusive beta with Omnicom Media Group. The trial involves more than 20 brands across automotive, retail and telecoms, leveraging ITV’s first‑party audience data and...
Vodafone Introduces Low-Latency DOCSIS on German Cable
Vodafone Deutschland is deploying Low‑Latency DOCSIS across its cable network, aiming to halve response times for real‑time applications during peak traffic. The rollout will reach roughly 12 million households by October 2026 and cover 45% of the network by that date, with...
DFB.TV Launches on HD+ with Live Football and On-Demand Service
DFB.TV will launch on the German satellite/IP platform HD+ on 22 May 2026, delivering a 24/7 football channel and an on‑demand library covering national teams, youth, amateur competitions, ePokal, futsal and beach soccer. The service will broadcast roughly 250 live events each...
WBD Expands Roland-Garros Coverage with Enhanced HBO Max Features
Warner Bros. Discovery will stream every Roland‑Garros match—about 900 contests and roughly 10,000 hours—live on HBO Max, TNT Sports and Eurosport. The rollout adds premium features such as Multiview, Key Moments, Player Alerts, 1080p Dolby Vision/Atmos streams and up to 20 commentary languages. New...
Tele Columbus Opens Fibre Network to 1&1
Tele Columbus has signed a long‑term wholesale deal to open its fibre network to 1&1, adding more than 1.2 million households to the provider’s reach. The agreement links 1&1’s nationwide fibre transport with Tele Columbus’ regional infrastructure, covering existing footprints and future expansion...
Seven.One Media Launches Pause Ads on Joyn
Seven.One Media, the ad sales arm of ProSiebenSat.1, has rolled out a new "pause‑ad" format on its streaming service Joyn. The full‑screen ad appears four seconds after a viewer pauses VOD content and remains until playback resumes, offering uninterrupted brand...
AMC+ Becomes US Home for Classic Modern Doctor Who
AMC+ will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home for the modern run of Doctor Who, offering all 13 seasons produced between 2005 and 2022. The library comprises 176 episodes and specials and launches on June 11, coinciding with a limited‑time annual subscription...
Ofcom Proposes Broadcast-Style Regulation for Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video
Ofcom has released draft regulations that would extend UK broadcast‑style content and accessibility standards to Tier 1 streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video. The proposals require services with over 500,000 UK users to adhere to a new content...
Sky Edges Closer to ITV Takeover as Negotiations Enter Final Phase
Sky is in final talks to acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment division, including its channel portfolio and ITVX streaming service, for roughly $2.05 billion. ITV will retain its production arm, ITV Studios, which will keep supplying flagship programmes to the channels...
TikTok Introduces UK Ad-Free Subscription
TikTok is rolling out a paid ad‑free tier for users in the United Kingdom, priced at £3.99 per month (approximately $5.07). The offer, available to anyone 18 or older, requires users to choose between the subscription and the free, ad‑supported...
TV5MONDE Launches FAST Channels in North American Hotels
TV5MONDE has rolled out three free‑ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channels—Chefs, Info and Voyage—across more than 275,000 upscale and luxury hotel rooms in North America via a partnership with SONIFI. The channels deliver French‑language content with English subtitles, covering gastronomy, daily news,...
Teleste and Vecima Partner on Open DAA Solution
Teleste and Vecima Networks announced a partnership to deliver an open, interoperable Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) solution for European cable operators. The offering combines Vecima’s Entra vCMTS cloud‑native virtualized cable access core with Teleste’s Remote PHY node portfolio, backed by...
UBN Launches CTV Serial on Rakuten TV in Poland
United Broadcasting Network (UBN) has introduced its FAST channel CTV Serial on Rakuten TV in Poland. The 24/7 linear channel streams curated Ukrainian series spanning crime, procedural and medical drama. The rollout aligns with UBN’s broader push to distribute Ukrainian...
NEP to Provide Broadcast Infrastructure for Eurovision 2026
NEP Group, via its NEP Europe subsidiary, will provide the full broadcast production infrastructure for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, supporting host broadcaster ORF and the European Broadcasting Union. The contract includes primary and backup outside‑broadcast facilities, wireless...
SES Reiterates Outlook After Strong Q1
SES reported a robust start to 2026, with Networks revenue soaring 106% year‑on‑year and Mobility up 207.8%. Media revenue rose 42.9%, while the company signed €306 million (≈$334 million) in new contracts, including about €100 million (≈$109 million) from Media. New O3b mPOWER satellites...
Global Services Take Majority of Norwegian Video Viewing
Mediavision's latest research shows global streaming services now account for nearly 55% of all video consumption in Norway, marking the highest share among Nordic markets. Linear television usage has dropped dramatically, with average daily viewing more than halving since 2017....
UK Government Considers Expanding TV Licence to Streaming Users
The UK government is weighing a proposal to extend the TV licence fee to households that only use subscription streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The move aims to broaden the BBC’s funding base as the current...
Ocilion to Host Innovation Breakfast at ANGA COM 2026
Ocilion will host its annual Innovation Breakfast at the ANGA COM 2026 congress in Cologne on 20 May, assembling senior executives from IPTV service providers, network operators, and content platforms. The half‑hour session, titled “Growth engine IPTV,” will feature a panel discussion on...
Teleste Improves Profitability in Q1
Teleste Corporation posted stronger Q1 2026 profitability despite flat revenue, with adjusted EBITDA up 12.8% to €3.1 million ($3.4 million) and adjusted operating profit climbing 29% to €1.9 million ($2.1 million). Net sales held steady at €32.2 million ($35 million) year‑on‑year, while earnings per share more than...
TV 2 Play Clamps Down on Password Sharing
TV 2 Play is rolling out a new "TV 2 Play households" system that automatically identifies a subscriber’s home based on devices sharing the same internet connection. When a login is detected on a device outside that household, the service displays a warning that...
EBU Warns Czech Media Reforms Could Undermine Independence
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has written to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala warning that draft legislation could jeopardize the independence of Czech Television and Czech Radio. The proposal would replace licence‑fee funding with direct state‑budget financing, reducing financial predictability...
HSE Grows Revenue and Profitability Despite Pressure on Teleshopping Sector
German teleshopping broadcaster HSE posted a 4% revenue increase in 2025, reaching €641.6 million (about $700 million), and lifted its adjusted EBITDA margin to 14.7%. The growth came despite a broader sector slump, highlighted by Channel21’s insolvency and QVC’s Chapter 11 filing. HSE’s...
BFBS Selects Synamedia for New Digital Platform
BFBS has appointed Synamedia as its strategic technology partner to build a next‑generation digital platform, dubbed The Hub, for the UK Armed Forces. The Hub will consolidate broadcasting, OTT and personalized content into a single, secure experience accessible on multiple...
Airties Launches Lite Platform for Retail Wi-Fi Gateways
Airties has introduced Airties Lite, an AI‑driven platform that lets internet service providers manage retail‑purchased Wi‑Fi gateways using the TR‑369 (USP) standard. The solution provides real‑time connectivity scoring, AI‑based root‑cause diagnostics and proactive campaign tools without requiring custom firmware on...
Sky Renews Saturday Night Live UK
Sky has commissioned a second series of Saturday Night Live UK, adding 12 new episodes slated for broadcast from September 2026 through early 2027 on Sky One. The renewal arrives before the first series concludes, which featured high‑profile hosts such as...
Sky Extends Formula 1 Rights Deal Into Next Decade
Sky Group has extended its exclusive Formula 1 rights in the UK and Ireland through the 2034 season and in Italy through 2032, adding a five‑year extension worth roughly $254 million per season, up from about $164 million. The deal covers every practice,...
Paramount Confirms Pluto TV Shift to Unified Streaming Stack
Paramount announced that its free ad‑supported service Pluto TV will migrate onto the same technology platform that powers Paramount+. The transition is targeted for mid‑2026 and will unify infrastructure, data, recommendation engines, and advertising tools across both services. By consolidating...
Eurosport 4K to Air Roland-Garros in UHD on HD+ in Germany
Warner Bros. Discovery will broadcast the 2026 Roland‑Garros French Open in UHD HDR via Eurosport 4K on Germany’s HD+ platform from 24 May to 7 June. All main‑court matches—including semi‑finals and the final—will be shown without commercial breaks, with German commentary, to viewers...
CANAL+ App to Be Pre-Installed on Sharp TiVo TVs
CANAL+ announced a strategic partnership with Sharp Consumer Electronics to pre‑install its streaming app on Sharp Smart TVs powered by TiVo in Europe. The app will be pre‑loaded on models sold in France, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary,...
Zattoo Upgrades SRG Channels to Full HD
Zattoo is upgrading its Ultimate tier in Switzerland to stream all seven SRG SSR channels in Full HD, expanding its premium offering to 118 Full HD and 202 HD channels out of a total of 374. The enhancement arrives ahead...
Liberty Global Reports Q1 Growth as VodafoneZiggo Deal Progresses
Liberty Global posted Q1 2026 revenue of $1.27 billion, an 8.8% year‑on‑year increase, and adjusted EBITDA of $366.5 million, up 12.9%. The company is on track to acquire Vodafone’s 50% stake in VodafoneZiggo by July and plans to spin it off to...
Voyo Adds AMC Channels and Ta3 in Slovakia
Voyo has broadened its Slovak streaming portfolio by adding ten linear channels on April 29, including nine from AMC Global Media Central Europe and the ta3 news service. The new lineup—Sport 1, Sport 2, AMC, Film+, Spektrum, Spektrum Home, TV Paprika, Minimax and JimJam—covers sports,...
WBD Lines up 4,000 Live Hours for Summer of Sport
Warner Bros. Discovery will air more than 4,000 hours of live sport this summer across TNT Sports, Eurosport and HBO Max. The schedule, running from May through July, includes over 50 events in 50 markets, ranging from Grand Tour cycling and Roland‑Garros to...
Netflix Pushes Deeper Into Mobile with ‘Clips’ Feature
Netflix has rolled out a redesigned mobile app centered on a new “Clips” feature, a vertical, swipe‑able feed of short excerpts from its library. The feed lets users share clips, add titles to their watchlist, and jump straight into full...
Virgin Media O2 Sees Stabilising Customer Trends in Q1
Virgin Media O2 reported that its consumer fixed‑line base held steady at 5.5 million, with a modest net loss of 7,000 customers in Q1, marking a turnaround from the 38,000 decline a year earlier. Mobile contract connections slipped 38,000 to 12.5 million,...
Virgin Media O2 Opens Experiential Store in Liverpool
Virgin Media O2 launched a 1,900‑sq‑ft experiential retail store in Liverpool ONE, merging mobile, broadband, TV and connected tech under one roof. The venue features an Ultimate Gaming Zone with VR/AR experiences, a gigabit broadband showcase, and a Meta immersion...
UC3 Names Preferred Bidders for UEFA Club Rights in 19 Markets
UC3, the UEFA‑Club commercial joint venture, named preferred bidders for the 2027‑31 men’s club competition media rights in 19 territories. The shortlist blends incumbent broadcasters such as Sky and Canal+ with streaming giants Disney+, Paramount+, ESPN and DAZN, reflecting a...
Simplestream Brings Local TV Channels to Freely
Simplestream is enabling the launch of six UK local TV channels on the free‑to‑air streaming platform Freely, delivering fully managed IP distribution and server‑side ad insertion. The channels—London TV, Birmingham TV, KMTV, Latest TV Brighton, Liverpool TV and Leeds TV—are...
Hearst Networks Unveils H2 Factual Slate
Hearst Networks announced its second‑half 2026 factual programming slate for Sky History, Crime+Investigation and BLAZE. The lineup mixes new original series, returning franchises and talent‑led formats featuring Dolph Lundgren, Bradley Walsh, Rob Rinder, Jim Belushi, Sean Bean and Laurence Fishburne. Highlights include History’s Greatest Machines, 102 Minutes Inside...
Spanish Police Dismantle Kodispain Piracy Network
Spain’s Guardia Civil has dismantled Kodispain, a major platform that streamed live LaLiga matches without authorization. The raid followed complaints from LaLiga and telecoms group Telefónica, highlighting coordinated enforcement against sports piracy. Investigators examined over 91,000 files and about 25,000...
DAZN Wins Main Austrian UEFA Champions League Rights
DAZN has won the primary UEFA Champions League broadcasting rights in Austria for the 2027/28‑2030/31 cycle, securing 186 live matches per season. Sky Österreich keeps an exclusive first‑pick Tuesday match and highlights package, while Canal+ Austria takes the Europa League...
Sportdigital Adds EFA and UFL American Football Rights
German broadcaster Sportdigital is adding live‑sports rights to the newly formed European Football Alliance (EFA) and the US‑based United Football League (UFL), with coverage beginning in May 2026. The EFA’s inaugural season will feature six clubs from four countries, while the...
CANAL+ Secures UEFA Club Rights Across Europe
Canal+ has secured UEFA men’s club competition broadcasting rights across several European markets for the 2027/28‑2030/31 seasons. The group renewed exclusive Champions League rights in Poland, obtained exclusive Europa League and Conference League rights in Austria, and signed a co‑exclusive...
Deutsche Glasfaser Secures €1.2bn Capital Boost for Fibre Expansion
Deutsche Glasfaser (DG) has secured more than €1.2 billion (about $1.3 billion) in new equity and debt from shareholders EQT, OMERS and its lenders, reshaping its capital structure. The deal, slated to close by June 2026, reduces operating‑related debt and provides long‑term financing...