INDUSTRY EVENTS
What are you most looking forward to? I’m most looking forward to seeing how the conversations at IBC2026 turn into real collaboration. The show is always a great opportunity to bring together broadcasters, technology providers, creators and innovators to share ideas and tackle common challenges. I’m also excited to explore Future Tech and the Accelerator Programme, where many of the industry’s newest ideas are being tested in real-world environments. Beyond the technology itself, IBC is about making connections, discovering practical solutions and gaining insights that attendees can take back to their own organisations, making it one of the most valuable events in the media and entertainment calendar. How are you finding the shifts in media ownership (WBA, Paramount, EU approval etc.) affecting the show? The pace of change across media ownership reflects a wider industry trend. Whether it’s mergers, partnerships or new distribution agreements, organisations are looking for greater scale, efficiency and resilience in an increasingly competitive market. That makes events like IBC even more valuable because companies need opportunities to share and debate ideas, evaluate technologies and identify new partners – many of whom may have started out as competitors.
Broadband Journal readers are obviously interested in network infrastructure and connectivity. How is IBC reflecting the growing importance of broadband, cloud networking and IP based workflows? I’d point readers to the Accelerator project Network Control: Your Connection, Your Choice, where the BBC, RTL, Vodafone, EBU, RAI, France Télévisions, Neutral Wireless and the GSMA are part of an exceptional group of world leading media companies, operators and universities building on several years of collaboration to transform how 5G is used for production. Following real-world trials at the Summer 2024 Olympic Games and King Charles III’s Coronation in 2023, the project is exploring how private public 5G can become a more consistent, reliable and flexible connectivity layer by harnessing Quality on Demand APIs in the networks for live news and sports production, EIT is exploring open network APIs such as CAMARA Quality on Demand that help transform 5G from best-effort connectivity into a programmable, predictable and prioritised production resource, integrated directly into broadcast workflows.
From a technology standpoint, these shifts are driving greater interest in software-defined infrastructure that helps dynamic, distributed organisations create, manage, and distribute content from anywhere. We’re also seeing a much bigger emphasis on AI governance as regulations evolve and adoption scales. The media and connectivity industries are evolving rapidly. What are the biggest trends visitors can expect to see in Amsterdam this year? Clearly AI remains a major theme, but the conversation has shifted beyond experimentation to measurable business outcomes. Cloud-native production, all-IP workflows and agentic systems continue to fundamentally reshape how content is produced, managed and distributed, while live sports and events are fueling innovation in real-time viewer engagement and fan experiences. Underpinning all of this is connectivity. Reliable, scalable and increasingly intelligent networks have become fundamental to supporting modern content delivery – and unprecedented spikes in live streaming demand. Across IBC2026, the emphasis is on technologies and partnerships that are solving these challenges today in the real world – rather than simply showcasing what’s possible.
Volume 48 No.23 SEPTEMBER 2026
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