Sky has begun rolling out its redesigned Sky OS to Glass and Stream customers, introducing conversational voice search, clearer recording controls and a new navigation system.

The software will reach devices automatically over the coming weeks, with no action required from customers.

The revamp is the first substantial update since the launch of the Sky Glass TV product five years ago.

A new navigation bar at the top of the Home screen provides direct access to Recents, Home, TV Guide, My Library, Sport, My Account, Search and Settings. Playlist has been renamed My Library, while Recents lets viewers return to recently used programmes, channels and apps.

The update introduces Smart Voice, allowing customers to search using conversational descriptions rather than exact titles. Viewers can describe an actor or storyline they remember, ask questions about content or request suggestions by holding the voice button on their remote.

Recordings – which return as a concept and will be held in the cloud – receive a dedicated section within My Library, with controls available through a new viewing sidebar or the remote’s ‘+’ button in the TV Guide. Customers can delete recordings through a management menu, while the system will automatically remove the oldest recordings when space is needed for new ones.

The refreshed player also gives viewers access to programme information, recording options, subtitles, audio description and the TV Guide without leaving their current programme.

A Mini TV Guide opens in a sidebar, showing current and upcoming programmes alongside timings and further information. The main TV Guide gains channel logos and a Day Picker to simplify browsing future schedules.

Sport receives its own dedicated home, bringing together live, upcoming and on-demand coverage with recommendations.

The rollout follows Sky’s earlier preview of the redesign and comes on the same day Virgin Media launched Smart Search on its TV 360 and Stream boxes. Both operators are expanding conversational discovery to help viewers find content without knowing precisely what they want to watch.

Skydance plans to bring Paramount+ and HBO Max onto a common technology stack within roughly a year, making platform integration a central part of its merger programme following the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Speaking on the company’s third-quarter earnings call, chief executive David Ellison said experience gained from integrating Pluto TV and BET+ with Paramount+, alongside AI development tools, would accelerate the work. That earlier integration took around 18 months.

The technology programme extends beyond streaming, covering broadcast infrastructure, enterprise systems and overlapping technology teams. Co-chief executive Ynon Kreiz identified at least $1.4 billion in annual technology savings.

The wider integration targets at least $6 billion in annual savings within three years, including $2.2 billion from corporate overheads and property, $1 billion from marketing and $1.4 billion from procurement.

Ellison also said the group favoured building a predominantly direct customer business, while retaining distribution partnerships where they provide additional reach. Ea

The first step will be a Paramount+ and HBO Max bundle in early 2027, ahead of a fully unified offering. The back-end integration target is within a year of the October 6 merger completion.

Skydance says Pluto TV’s migration onto the Paramount+ platform across major devices is largely complete. A shared back end is intended to reduce operating costs, accelerate product development and provide common personalisation and monetisation capabilities.

The group reported 203 million aggregate subscribers across Paramount+, HBO and HBO Max, alongside approximately 75 million Pluto TV monthly active users. The subscription total excludes Discovery+ and does not remove overlap between services.

Paramount+ ended September with 82.2 million subscribers, up from 81.6 million in June and approximately 6% ahead year-on-year.

However, Skydance will stop publishing quarterly subscriber figures from Q4, shifting its reporting towards financial performance, engagement and selected milestones. This is a common trait among streaming platforms; we’ll get the good times, though not necessarily the bad.

The reported third-quarter financial results cover Paramount Skydance before the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, which closed after the quarter ended.

Paramount Skydance revenue increased 5% to $7 billion, with adjusted EBITDA of $1 billion. Paramount+ revenue rose 21%, supported by approximately 14% growth in average revenue per user.

Ofcom has strengthened its guidance on protecting participants in constructed reality programmes, with particular attention to formats involving emotional or physical intimacy.

The updated guidance sits under Section Seven of the Broadcasting Code, covering fairness. It calls on broadcasters to consider stronger safeguards where programme formats create greater risks to participants’ welfare.

The regulator says risk assessments should reflect how a programme operates, including interactions between contributors, emotional pressure and expectations around intimacy. A new risk matrix is intended to help broadcasters assess formats involving physical or emotional intimacy.

Particular care may be needed where members of the public with little experience of public attention face conflict, sensitive personal disclosures or pressure to form relationships.

Ofcom highlights the potential for harmful behaviour, including sexual misconduct and coercive control, particularly where contestants compete to establish and maintain partnerships. It encourages advance background checks and clear information for participants about expected conduct.

For higher-risk formats, safeguards could include trained welfare teams independent of editorial staff, external specialists and opportunities to contact family and friends during filming. Broadcasters should also consider providing a dedicated contact for welfare concerns for a reasonable period after transmission.

The guidance treats informed consent as an ongoing process, requiring programme-makers to revisit it when circumstances change, including after confrontations, increased anxiety or physical intimacy.

Production companies and broadcasters should establish clear reporting and escalation procedures, retain comprehensive records of welfare incidents and inform participants of their right to complain to Ofcom after broadcast.

The changes take account of recommendations from external reviews commissioned by Channel 4 into Married at First Sight UK, following allegations raised by BBC Panorama earlier this year.

Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom’s Broadcasting and Media Group Director, said: “Our strengthened guidance will help ensure that the potential risks to participants’ welfare are properly considered and addressed by programme-makers — before, during and after production.”

Ofcom stressed that it does not approve or ban programme formats, but expects broadcasters to protect participants against foreseeable risks within their control.

Virgin Media has launched AI-powered Smart Search across its TV 360 and Stream boxes, allowing customers to find programmes by describing what they want to watch.

Available at no additional charge, the feature understands everyday language, enabling searches based on mood, genre, actors or remembered plot details without requiring an exact programme title.

Viewers activate Smart Search by pressing and holding the microphone button on their remote, then speaking their request. The system returns a selection of relevant programmes and films for them to browse.

Virgin’s examples include asking for new releases, a feel-good film or something suitable for family viewing. Customers who have forgotten a title can use an actor’s name or a recognisable detail about the story to narrow the results.

The operator advises keeping requests focused on the key information, rather than describing an entire plot. Viewers can also change their approach by searching for a different mood, genre or performer if the initial suggestions do not suit them.

Existing text search remains available for customers who prefer to type their requests.

Louise Fussell, TV & Entertainment Product Director at Virgin Media, said: “By understanding how viewers naturally talk, Smart Search helps to cut the endless scroll and surface relevant recommendations in seconds so viewers can spend less time searching and more time enjoying the entertainment they love.”

The launch comes as Sky prepares a revamp of its Entertainment OS, now branded Sky OS, for Glass and Stream customers. Features previewed at its Osterley headquarters include more conversational voice search, supporting follow-up requests and searches based on partially remembered programmes.

Sky is also preparing revised navigation and a My Library section separating watchlists from cloud recordings.

wedotv is rolling out seven FAST channels on Amazon’s Fire TV Channels this autumn, combining international distribution with dedicated offerings for Germany and Japan.

The agreement includes time2Rlx, wedotv Big Stories and wedotv Cars, which the company says will be available across Fire TV Channels worldwide.

German viewers will receive the DACH versions of wedotv Cars, wedotv Sports and wedotv True Stories. In Japan, Fire TV Channels will add Get Factual, marking wedotv’s first entry into the market.

“Joining Fire TV Channels marks a significant step forward in the international distribution of wedotv’s channel portfolio,” said Iza Piotrowska, SVP, Global Business Development at wedotv.

“In addition to the global and German distribution, this agreement brings wedotv to Japan for the first time, extending our reach into an important new country for our channels.”

The company has not specified individual launch dates for the channels.

From 30 November 2026, the NITRO channel will broadcast all 11 editions of NHL Monday Night Hockey live during prime time, with the coverage also available on streaming service RTL+.

The agreement gives German viewers additional opportunities to watch NHL games outside the traditional weekend slots. The broadcasts will feature the live Sky Sport production, with coverage also shown on Sky Sport Mix. Pay-TV service Sky Sport will remain the NHL’s long-term broadcasting home in Germany, showing approximately 300 games live and exclusively each season.

The expanded partnership also covers the NHL’s return to Germany, with live coverage of games taking place in the country. NITRO, Sky Sport and RTL+ will show both games of the 2026 NHL Global Series Germany, presented by Kaufland, featuring the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf on 18 and 20 December 2026.

The agreement further includes live coverage of four NHL Global Series games scheduled to take place in Munich and Cologne during the 2027-28 season.

“In a media world where more and more content is available at any time, what is truly live and truly real becomes all the more valuable,” said Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer at RTL Deutschland. She added that the partnership would combine RTL Deutschland’s reach with Sky Sport’s sports expertise to make the NHL accessible to a wider audience.

Frank Robens, Executive Vice President of Sports at RTL Deutschland, highlighted the growing presence of German players in the NHL, led by Leon Draisaitl. The expanded coverage would bring more German stars to free-to-air television during prime time, he said.

“The appetite for NHL hockey in Germany continues to grow, driven by passionate fans and the success of German players making an impact across our league,” said David Proper, NHL Chief Media Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. He added that the expanded partnership with RTL Deutschland represented an important step in bringing the game to more households and strengthening the league’s connection with German fans.

The telecommunications operator is simplifying its organisational structures, increasing the use of AI and automation, and strengthening cooperation between its commercial divisions and customer service operations.

Under the new operating model, sales and customer service for both consumer and business customers will be brought closer together. The IT division will also work more closely with the commercial units to shorten decision-making processes and speed up the development of products and services.

Vodafone plans to extend automation and AI applications across the business. These include analysing network faults and proposing solutions, creating and managing advertising campaigns, and supporting customer service employees. The company expects the changes to reduce operating costs and enable customer enquiries to be resolved more quickly.

The planned workforce reduction will take place over the next two financial years. As in previous restructuring programmes, Vodafone aims to achieve the cuts through socially responsible measures.

According to the company, its restructuring over the past two years had already delivered progress, including stabilising fixed-line revenues and returning its business customer division to growth. Product development had also accelerated, while customer satisfaction with services had improved.

However, Vodafone continues to face challenging market conditions, including price competition in mobile communications, a declining cable TV market, intense competition in fibre broadband and rising costs. The growing use of third-party networks by mobile customers is also putting pressure on market revenues.

Alongside the cost-saving measures, Vodafone plans to increase investment in AI, IT, fibre networks, digital services and digital customer channels. It also intends to strengthen its position in fibre broadband and cloud and security services for business customers.

The closer integration of customer service with the consumer and business divisions is expected to be developed further, with detailed discussions with employee representatives scheduled to begin early next year.

One Hungary has signed a two-year agreement with Network4 Media Group covering 14 television channels and bundled access to selected Network4 Go streaming content.

Moonbug, Viasat True Crime and Marquee TV will join the operator’s offering in the first quarter of 2027. From December 1, 2026, One TV Family subscribers will also receive selected Network4 Go programming at no additional charge.

The streaming package includes catch-up coverage of sports broadcast on Arena4, Match4 and Max4, approximately 1,800 additional hours of live sport annually, Bundesliga statistics and access to the round-the-clock NFL Network. Around 600 hours of films and series will also be available.

One Hungary chief executive Tamás Bányai said the agreement makes streaming access part of the television subscription, giving customers greater flexibility. Network4 chairman and chief executive András Borsány-Gyenes said the partnership could bring its streaming offering to as many as one million households.

The three channel launches span children’s programming, factual entertainment and performing arts. Moonbug targets preschool audiences with Hungarian-dubbed, English-language and dialogue-free programmes. Viasat True Crime will carry Hungarian-dubbed documentaries and reality programming, while Marquee TV will offer ballet, opera, theatre, classical music and dance in their original languages.

The distribution agreement also covers Network4’s existing TV4, Story4, Film4, Galaxy4, Max4, Arena4 and Match4 channels, alongside Viasat Nature, Viasat Explore, Viasat History and Viasat Epic Drama.

Network4 will represent Moonbug and Marquee TV for distribution in Hungary, extending its role alongside its existing representation of Viasat World’s channels.

Fox Corporation has completed its acquisition of Roku, bringing the connected TV platform into the same group as Tubi and FOX One while committing to protect access for rival content providers.

The transaction closed on November 6. Roku will form part of the newly created FOX Digital Platforms division, alongside Tubi, FOX One, Red Seat Ventures and other digital services. Roku founder Anthony Wood joins Fox’s board and becomes the division’s co-chair, with Paul Cheesbrough appointed co-chair and chief executive.

Announced in June at an enterprise value of approximately $22 billion, the acquisition combines Fox’s sports, news and entertainment businesses with a streaming platform reaching more than 100 million households worldwide. It also brings Tubi and The Roku Channel under common ownership, expanding Fox’s position in free, advertising-supported streaming.

The deal gives Fox a wider role in connected TV advertising, subscription distribution and content discovery through Roku’s television operating system, home screen and direct customer relationships. Completion comes ahead of the first-half 2027 timetable originally envisaged.

Platform neutrality was a central issue in the US Department of Justice’s investigation, which examined both competition between free streaming services and whether Fox could disadvantage rival content providers through Roku.

Fox has committed to continuing carriage of non-Fox content for at least three years, consistent with Roku’s historical practice. It will not discriminate against rival content in search results, while viewers will retain the ability to rearrange apps on the home screen.

Existing contractual safeguards protecting partners’ commercially sensitive data will also remain for at least three years. Third parties will continue to receive data products on commercially reasonable terms.

The DOJ closed its investigation after concluding the transaction was unlikely to harm competition. It said restricting rival content could damage Roku financially and reputationally, given the platform’s reliance on a broad selection of services.

Julian Brodsky, a co-founding partner of Comcast and a key figure in financing the growth of the cable television industry, has died aged 93.

Comcast said Brodsky died on 5 November. Alongside founder Ralph Roberts and fellow co-founding partner Daniel Aaron, he helped establish the business through the acquisition of a small cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1963.

As Comcast’s longtime chief financial officer, Brodsky secured capital and helped guide acquisitions that took the company from a regional cable operator to a major media and technology business. His work helped establish cable television’s credibility with banks and institutional investors during the industry’s formative years.

He played a central role in Comcast’s 1972 flotation and, with Roberts, established Comcast Interactive Capital in 1999. The investment business, now known as Comcast Ventures, backed early-stage technology companies.

“Julian was an extraordinary leader, a brilliant financial mind, and one of the architects of cable television,” said Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts.

“He was one of the most creative financiers of his generation, but just as important, he established a culture of financial integrity, uncompromising standards, and respect for colleagues that remains at the heart of our company today.”

Born in Philadelphia in 1933, Brodsky graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and served in the US Army before qualifying as a certified public accountant. His interest in cable television developed while working as an auditor.

He became Comcast’s non-executive vice chairman in 2004 and retired from the company and its board in 2011. His industry honours included induction into the Cable Television Hall of Fame in 2003.

Brodsky was also a longstanding supporter of cultural and educational institutions in Philadelphia. In October, he and his wife Lois announced a $20 million gift to establish a learning and engagement centre at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where he served as a trustee for nearly three decades.

He is survived by Lois, their three daughters, his brother and four grandchildren.