Movistar Plus+ Expands Liga Endesa Access Through DAZN Deal
Movistar Plus+ has expanded its basketball coverage through a new agreement with streaming service DAZN, offering two Liga Endesa games per matchday to all of its subscribers. Full league coverage remains on DAZN Basketball for dedicated sports packages, while the selected fixtures for Matchday 26 – Unicaja vs Valencia Basket and Baskonia vs Dreamland Gran Canaria – are broadcast on the main Movistar Plus+ channel and Vamos por M+. The partnership reflects a growing trend of pay‑TV operators integrating streaming content to broaden reach and enhance their sports portfolios.
Futuresource Sees SVOD Entering More Disciplined Growth Phase
Futuresource Consulting reports that the global subscription video‑on‑demand (SVOD) market has reached 2.2 billion subscribers and is expected to climb to 2.6 billion by 2030. As major territories near saturation, growth is becoming incremental, pushing platforms to prioritize pricing strategies, bundling, distribution...
Plustelka Migrates Second Multiplex to DVB-T2
Slovak pay‑TV platform Plustelka will migrate its second multiplex to the DVB‑T2 standard on April 14, 2026. The upgrade is part of a broader DTT modernization aimed at improving picture quality and freeing spectrum for new services. Viewers must retune...
KiKA Launches HbbTV-Enabled Smart TV App on StreamingOS
KiKA, the German children’s channel operated by ARD and ZDF, has launched a redesigned smart‑TV and HbbTV app built on the joint StreamingOS platform. The new offering features a unified video player, recommendation algorithms, and a child‑friendly interface with a...
Yospace Tops 10 Billion Monthly Ad Insertions Amid Streaming Growth
Yospace reported a historic month, stitching over 10 billion ads and delivering 11.6 billion one‑to‑one addressable impressions—a 35% year‑on‑year rise. The growth was fueled by a dense international sports schedule, including Six Nations and the start of the 2026 Formula One season. Yospace...
BBC First to Rebrand as BBC Belgium in May
BBC Studios will rename its premium drama channel BBC First to BBC Belgium, effective May 5, 2026. The rebrand targets the Flemish market, offering British drama and light‑crime series with Dutch subtitles. The launch will feature both returning titles such as Call...
Media Distillery Targets Sports Streamers with New Engagement Platform
Media Distillery unveiled an AI‑driven Sports Engagement Suite that automates highlights, real‑time key‑moment detection, chapter navigation, and related shoulder content. The platform aims to ease the labor‑intensive workflow of packaging sports coverage for broadcasters and streaming services. Football will be...
Tubi Launches First ChatGPT Streaming Integration
Tubi has become the first streaming service to embed a native experience inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The integration lets users ask natural‑language queries for movies and TV shows, with recommendations displayed directly in the chat and linked to Tubi’s ad‑supported catalog....
DFB Launches Tender for 3. Liga Media Rights From 2027/28
The German Football Association (DFB) has launched a tender for the 3. Liga’s national audiovisual media rights covering the 2027/28‑2030/31 seasons. MagentaSport, Deutsche Telekom’s platform, currently holds exclusive live rights to all 380 matches, while public broadcasters ARD/ZDF and services...
Synamedia Launches Senza Ignite for Legacy TV Devices
Synamedia has launched Senza Ignite, a cloud‑based platform that modernises legacy smart TVs and set‑top boxes with a single firmware update. The solution lets operators shift the user interface to the cloud while preserving native device functions, enabling continuous UI...
Samba TV and TiVo Strike UK CTV Advertising Partnership
Samba TV and TiVo have launched a strategic partnership in the United Kingdom, effective April 1, to combine Samba's cross‑platform audience intelligence with TiVo's owned‑and‑operated CTV inventory. The deal makes TiVo Samba's preferred managed‑service advertising partner and positions Samba as the...
BBC Found in Breach over BAFTAs Slur Broadcast
The BBC was found to have breached its editorial standards after a racial slur shouted by Tourette’s activist John Davidson aired during the live BAFTA Film Awards. The word was not removed from the delayed broadcast on BBC One, nor...
Leyra Selected by RÚV for Smart TV Streaming Rollout
Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV has chosen Leyra's OTT platform for its new smart‑TV streaming service on Samsung and LG devices. Leyra, a joint venture of Accedo and Magine Pro, will deliver live and on‑demand TV and radio with full Icelandic language...
The Long Game in FAST: Market by Market
Wedotv, originally launched as Watch4 in 2018, has pursued a patient, ad‑supported streaming strategy that contrasts with the subscription‑driven hype of the era. By first consolidating operations in the DACH region and then expanding deliberately to the UK, Italy, the...
URC TV Cuts Streaming Costs with Eluvio Migration
United Rugby Championship migrated its direct‑to‑consumer service, URC TV, to Eluvio’s Content Fabric platform, slashing streaming operating costs by 62%. The move sparked a 64% jump in transaction volume and lifted revenue 35% despite lower pricing. Subscriber numbers more than doubled,...
NPR, PBS Win Injunction Against Trump Funding Order
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. permanently blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS, ruling it constituted unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment. The order, which sought to withdraw taxpayer support because...
Deutsche Telekom Expands FAST Line-Up on MagentaTV
Deutsche Telekom has expanded its FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming Television) offering on the MagentaTV platform by adding six new channels, including romance‑focused Fabella, classic‑film hub MovieDome, and genre‑specific feeds for RTL’s Alarm für Cobra 11, Balko, Bauer sucht Frau, as well...
US Titles Dominate VOD Catalogues Despite Strong European Production
New research from the European Audiovisual Observatory shows that U.S. titles dominate video‑on‑demand (VOD) catalogues across Europe despite a sizable European output. European works account for 46% of individual titles but only 32% of catalogue "presences," while U.S. titles represent...
Globo Shifts Primary Distribution to SRT with Synamedia
Globo has completed a migration of its primary linear pay‑TV distribution to a fully IP‑based architecture using Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) over a managed backbone across Brazil. The transition leverages Synamedia’s Quortex PowerVu suite and virtualised Digital Content Manager, with...
waipu.tv Adds Nicktoons
German streaming service waipu.tv is expanding its Perfect Plus tier by adding the children’s channel Nicktoons, effective April 1, 2026. The addition brings the package to more than 300 Full HD channels, including 20 dedicated family channels. Subscribers receive Nicktoons at...
Advertising-Funded Streaming Surges Ahead in DACH, New Study Finds
A new report by FUNKE Channels and valantic shows advertising‑funded streaming, especially FAST (Free‑Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) channels, is accelerating in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Linear television remains the dominant format but its share is eroding as VOD, subscription services and...
TV 2 and Amedia Plan Joint Streaming Platform for Norwegian Football
TV 2 and Amedia have formed a joint venture to offer Norwegian football broadcasting rights from 2026 to 2034, using a shared streaming platform. The partnership combines TV 2's national reach with Amedia's extensive local newspaper network and its Direktesport...
AgileTV Makes DACH Move with LIWEST IPTV Launch
AgileTV has entered the DACH market through a partnership with Austrian operator LIWEST, launching a next‑generation IPTV platform that merges linear TV, streaming and app‑based entertainment. The service features super‑aggregation, an open content system for third‑party integrations and regionalisation tools...
NEM Dubrovnik Unveils First Speakers for 2026 Edition
The NEM Dubrovnik TV market announced its first keynote lineup for the 2026 edition, scheduled for June 8‑11 in Croatia. Organisers project participation from more than 300 broadcasters, streamers, producers and distributors, making the event about 50 % larger than last year....
France 24 Launches BMW In-Car App with Dotscreen
France 24 has introduced a dedicated in‑car app for BMW Group vehicles in Europe and the United States, using Xperi’s TiVo infotainment platform. Developed by Dotscreen, the app delivers live streams, video bulletins and on‑demand news in French, English, Arabic and...
Geely Tech EU and 3SS Launch In‑car Entertainment Hub for Zeekr in Europe
Geely Technology Europe and 3 Screen Solutions have launched an in‑car entertainment hub for Zeekr vehicles across Europe, built on Android Automotive OS and powered by 3Ready Automotive. The platform integrates premium video, live TV and news from over 15...
Omdia: TV and Online Video Revenues to Top $1 Trillion by 2030
Omdia projects combined traditional TV and online video revenues to surpass $1 trillion by 2030, up from $775 billion in 2025. The bulk of growth stems from digital advertising, which is expected to rise from $309 billion to $540 billion, lifting its share of...
BBC Studios, CosmoBlue Extend Partnership Into Turkey and MENA
BBC Studios and Turkey‑based CosmoBlue Media have deepened their partnership by launching the COSMO EN linear channel and the BBC Player streaming service in Turkey. COSMO EN is now carried on D‑Smart, Tivibu, beIN and Kablo TV, while BBC Player is...
Nanocosmos Targets Rising Stream Misuse with New Security Solution
German video‑delivery specialist nanocosmos launched nanoStream Control, a security and monitoring layer for its ultra‑low latency streaming platform. The solution lets operators revoke access tokens, block unauthorized joins, and enforce referrer allow‑lists in real time. Continuous anomaly detection, forensic watermarking...
Eurosport 3 and 4 to Launch in Poland
Warner Bros. Discovery is launching two new sports channels, Eurosport 3 and Eurosport 4, in Poland on April 1, 2026. The channels will be carried by 34 satellite and cable operators, expanding the existing Eurosport 1 and 2 lineup. Eurosport 3 will broadcast the full Speedway...
Canal+ Wins French Appeal Court Backing for Anti-Piracy DNS Blocks
Canal+ secured a landmark ruling from the Paris Court of Appeal allowing it to block illegal streaming and IPTV services through alternative DNS providers such as Google, Cloudflare and Cisco. The decision, the first of its kind in France, confirms...
NASCAR Euro Series Secures New TV Home in German‑speaking Europe Through Sportdigital Deal
The NASCAR Euro Series has signed a multi‑year broadcast partnership with German‑based Sportdigital, moving its German‑speaking market coverage (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) from Motorvision TV to Sportdigital’s premium Sportdigital1+ channel and streaming app starting in 2026. The deal includes live airings...
DVB-I Gathers Global Momentum
Momentum is building for the DVB‑I open specification as New Zealand, Ireland and Germany announce concrete steps toward deployment. Freeview New Zealand aims for a nationwide DVB‑I launch in 2026, positioning the standard as the future of free‑to‑air TV. RTÉ in Ireland...
Polsat Box Go Adds AI-Powered Highlights and Alerts for Sports Viewers
Polsat Box Go has launched PRO AI Mode, an AI‑driven feature that automatically creates live‑sport highlights and push notifications. Built with WSC Sports, it identifies key actions such as goals and delivers short clips to mobile and desktop users. The service debuts during major events...
Vodafone TV Adds BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle and BBC History
Vodafone TV will add three BBC Studios thematic channels—BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle and BBC History—on 1 April, offering them to all customers at no extra cost. The new channels broaden Vodafone's factual and lifestyle portfolio, moving the service further into premium...
EBU Warns Czech Funding Reforms Threaten Public Service Media Stability
The European Broadcasting Union and allied media groups warned that the Czech government’s proposed overhaul of public‑service funding could jeopardise both the financial stability and editorial independence of Czech Television and Czech Radio. The plan would slash licence‑fee contributions, exempting...
Virgin Media O2 Reaches 1 Million Milestone in UK Digital Inclusion Drive
Virgin Media O2 announced that it has connected one million digitally excluded people across the UK, fulfilling a core target of its Better Connections Plan. The effort combined free mobile data, device donations and expanded 4G coverage, while also delivering...
ServusTV Pulls Formula 1 and Other Premium Sports From Joyn
Austrian broadcaster ServusTV will cease streaming Formula 1, MotoGP and other premium sports on the joint platform Joyn, moving all live rights to its own service ServusTV On from 1 January 2026. Joyn will retain only the on‑demand library without live sports. The shift...
BBC Annual Plan Offers Value for All as It Waits for “Radical Reform”
The BBC’s Annual Plan outlines a digital‑first agenda for the next year, emphasizing iPlayer upgrades, short‑form video experiments, and expanded YouTube distribution. It arrives alongside the appointment of Matt Brittin as director‑general and the looming renewal of the corporation’s Royal...
Vodafone TV Adds Rakuten TV Rental Service
Vodafone TV Spain has partnered with Rakuten TV to embed its Videoclub rental service into the operator’s set‑top box platform. The integration adds roughly 6,000 titles, from new releases to catalog films, available for rent and billed through the monthly...
SPI Extends Orange Carriage Deal in Spain Through 2026
SPI International has renewed its distribution agreement with Orange in Spain, extending carriage of Fast&FunBox, FightBox and Gametoon through the end of 2026. The channels remain in Orange TV’s Sports Pack and Basic Pack and will also be available on...
ZDF Studios Launches Biene Maja & Friends and Dibidoo & Friends Channels on Prime Video
ZDF Studios is launching two new preschool add‑on channels on Amazon Prime Video. Biene Maja & Friends will be available in Germany and Austria, while Dibidoo & Friends will debut in the United Kingdom. The services bundle more than 200...
Wedotv Expands FAST Footprint in Middle East on Samsung TV Plus
wedotv has expanded its free ad-supported streaming (FAST) footprint in the Middle East by launching three region‑specific channels on Samsung TV Plus, including wedotv Big Stories, wedotv Sports MENA, and the soon‑to‑launch wedotv Cars. The channels deliver factual documentaries, live...
Yallo TV Adds AI‑generated Video Previews with Media Distillery
Swiss telco yallo has upgraded its yallo TV streaming platform with AI‑generated video previews using Media Distillery’s Preview Distillery technology. The new auto‑generated 15‑20 second clips increase highlight availability by roughly 20%, adding about 200 multilingual previews each month without...
Movistar Plus+ Launches Free Ad-Supported Tier
Movistar Plus+ has introduced a free, ad‑supported tier that gives users access to a curated slice of its streaming catalogue without a paid subscription. The offering, delivered via the Movistar Plus+ app, includes original series such as "Berto’s Advice Column"...
Channel21 Files for Insolvency
German teleshopping channel Channel21 filed for preliminary insolvency in Hanover, just days after celebrating its 25th anniversary. A court‑appointed administrator will decide whether the broadcaster can continue operating or must be restructured. The filing reflects a broader crisis in the...
Leonine Studios Extends Kogel’s Contract and Reshapes Board
Leonine Studios announced that CEO Fred Kogel’s contract has been extended to 2028, cementing his leadership of the German‑based production and distribution group. The move follows Leonine’s rapid rise since its 2019 launch to become the largest independent studio in...
EITB Selects Konodrac for HbbTV-Based TV Audience Measurement
EITB has awarded Barcelona‑based Konodrac a contract to deliver HbbTV‑based audience measurement and addressable TV services across its connected television platforms. The system will capture real‑time viewing data from smart TVs, enable interactive promotions and targeted ads, and integrate with...
Magenta Telekom Joins DNMG and Adds Stingray Channels
Austrian telco Magenta Telekom has joined the Deutsche Netzmarketing (DNMG) association to distribute Stingray’s iConcerts, DJazz and Classica channels in HD. iConcerts is offered free across all TV packages, while DJazz and Classica are bundled in the TV L tier. The...
Arcep Opens Consultation on Future of French DTT Wholesale Market
French regulator Arcep has opened a public consultation on the future of the wholesale digital terrestrial television (DTT) market as broadband delivery gains ground. The review examines DTT’s competitive position, minimum coverage obligations and the impact of rising IPTV and...
