The tool allows advertisers to plan, optimise and book campaigns themselves by entering their target region, budget, campaign duration and audience. They receive a campaign recommendation including estimated impressions and cost per thousand contacts. Campaigns can be planned from €5,000.

Users can select their target area via a map or search field and see the number of addressable TV devices available. Budget and campaign duration can then be adjusted, while additional targeting options include age and gender. Advertisers can also upload their advertising creative during the planning process.

The format used is SwitchIn XXL, an L-shaped banner that appears on compatible connected TVs three seconds after a channel change. According to the HbbTV Association, around 25.4 million German households had an addressable HbbTV device at the end of 2024, equivalent to around 60% of TV households.

The planner also includes an optimisation function that can suggest alternative campaign configurations if the selected parameters do not produce a suitable result.

“It’s important to us that the planner doesn’t just spit out numbers. If a campaign doesn’t make sense with the selected budget or in the desired region, the campaign optimisation provides the customer with a specific alternative that can be adopted directly,” said Maximilian Balbach, Co-CEO of Crossvertise.

Crossvertise is targeting advertisers with budgets of between €5,000 and €15,000, including local retailers, service providers and restaurants. Since SwitchIn XXL is a banner format, no conventional TV spot is required.

According to the company, the new planner is intended to lower the barriers to regional TV advertising by allowing businesses to plan campaigns themselves without specialist TV planning expertise.

The Hamburg-based media services company will handle the technical processing, management and archiving of Autentic’s media assets, as well as their delivery to different distribution channels.

The partnership covers the receipt and quality checking of materials, structured archiving of video, audio and subtitle files, metadata management, technical editing, and the compilation and delivery of programme packages. Analytics and reporting are also included. Enteractive will manage the workflows using its proprietary TODOS media management platform.

“With Autentic, we have secured another renowned international partner alongside Beta Film and will support the company in the management and technical delivery of its media content,” said Hans Henseleit, Managing Director of Enteractive. “Secure processes, consistent metadata and reliable delivery are crucial, particularly for cross-platform distribution, and this is where we bring our many years of experience to bear.”

Jochen Oppermann, Director of Sales at Enteractive, added: “With TODOS, we can map the technical process steps from material intake through editing and metadata management to distribution, archiving and reporting in a centralised environment. This enables us to create transparent and scalable workflows for Autentic that can be flexibly adapted to different platforms and distribution channels.”

Patrick Hörl, Managing Director of Autentic, said: “The digital distribution of our content across a wide variety of platforms and partners places high demands on processes, data quality and technical workflows. With Enteractive, we have an experienced partner at our side who supports us, in particular, with technical processing, metadata management and the reliable delivery of our content.”

He added: “For our continued growth in digital distribution channels, it is crucial that content can be delivered quickly, efficiently and in the format required in each case.”

Autentic develops, produces and distributes documentary films and series for broadcasters and streaming platforms internationally. The Munich-based company also operates FAST and YouTube channels and is part of Beta Group.

Enteractive has been providing technical services for rights holders in the film and media industry for more than 25 years. Its services include mastering and quality control for digital distribution, localisation, subtitle production, theatrical DCP creation and content archiving.

France’s Competition Authority has issued a formal statement of objections against Canal Plus over an alleged abuse of a dominant market position.

L’Autorité de la concurrence does not name Canal Plus directly, but French media is widely reporting that Canal is the subject of the investigation.

The case concerns what the Autorité de la concurrence describes as the imposition of “unfair trading conditions”.

The investigation was launched by the Authority on its own initiative in September 2024, rather than following a complaint. After two years of investigation, its investigative services have now issued a statement of objections to the company.

The move represents a formal accusation rather than a finding that competition law has been infringed. Canal will have access to the case and an opportunity to challenge both the facts and legal arguments before the matter is considered by the Authority’s independent Board.

“The Competition Authority will make no further comment regarding either the identity of the company concerned or the practices in question,” the regulator said.

The allegation relates to the acquisition and broadcasting of films within the pay-TV sector. While holding a dominant market position is not in itself prohibited under competition law, companies may not abuse that position by imposing commercial conditions that would not be possible under normal competitive circumstances.

Following the written phase of proceedings, the case can proceed to an oral hearing before the Authority’s Board. If an infringement is ultimately established, the regulator can impose remedies and financial penalties of up to 10% of the company’s worldwide turnover.

The Authority stressed that the statement of objections “does not prejudge the guilt” of the company concerned.

Amazon has launched a new generation of its Fire TV Stick 4K alongside a redesigned remote. It has also outlined a series of Alexa+ enhancements designed to make content discovery more conversational and personalised.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K, available from September 30 in markets including the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, is built on Amazon’s Vega operating system and supports Wi-Fi 6, AV1, HDR10 and HDR10+, with 4K output at up to 60fps.

Amazon says the device gets viewers from powering on to streaming between 20% and 40% faster than a similarly priced rival 4K streaming stick. It claims apps launch more than 35% faster and content begins playing nearly 20% faster, although the company did not identify the competing device.

The stick uses a slimmer design first introduced with the Fire TV Stick HD and includes Direct Power, allowing it to be powered from a compatible television’s USB port rather than requiring a separate power connection.

The launch also sees Amazon simplify its streaming stick range around three models: Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max, with the Fire TV Cube remaining its higher-end streaming player.

Amazon said more than 2,000 apps have been added to Vega since the first Fire TV product using the operating system was released. They include Spotify, Xbox and VLC alongside major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, HBO Max and Prime Video.

Amazon has also redesigned the Fire TV Remote, concentrating on controls that can be identified by touch without viewers needing to look down.

It has an asymmetric body with a flat top and curved weighted bottom, while the Home button now has a distinctive metal surface. Other controls use different shapes and indentations.

A customisable star button, previously reserved for Amazon’s more expensive remote, can be assigned to a favourite app or functions including closed captions and Screen Magnifier.

A premium Fire TV Remote Plus will follow in early 2027, replacing the Alexa Voice Remote Pro. It will feature an aluminium body, backlit buttons and a Find My Remote function.

Alongside the hardware launch, Amazon is extending Alexa+ across Fire TV and its mobile app, with the company putting greater emphasis on AI-assisted discovery rather than conventional title and keyword searches.

Alexa+ will use information including viewing history, subscriptions, programme availability and wider context to respond to more complicated requests. Viewers will also be able to continue a conversation with follow-up questions and return to recommendations made earlier.

A new dedicated Alexa+ hub will suggest personalised questions and recommendations and allow conversations started on other Alexa devices to be resumed on Fire TV.

Amazon is also bringing Alexa+ to the Fire TV mobile app. Users will be able to share an article containing programme recommendations with the app, which will extract titles and create a list that can be added to their watchlist.

The app will also analyse photographs of posters, locations, screenshots or other images and suggest related films and programmes, including information on which streaming services carry them.

Amazon says the revamped Fire TV interface is already resulting in viewers finding something to watch “tens of millions” more times each month than with the previous experience.

Live programming from more than 40 apps has meanwhile been incorporated into Fire TV’s interface, while an updated Games hub brings together cloud gaming services including Xbox, Luna and NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

The new Alexa+ Fire TV features will begin rolling out in the United States in November on selected devices, including the second-generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube. The new Fire TV Stick 4K and additional countries will receive the features in early 2027.

The Fire TV Stick 4K is priced at $59.99 in the United States, with local pricing applying in other launch markets.

Arqiva has appointed former NTL chief executive Simon Duffy as Chair of its Board, with immediate effect.

Duffy succeeds Scott Longhurst, who had been serving as Interim Chair.

He brings extensive experience across the telecommunications, media and technology sectors. His previous executive positions include Chief Executive of NTL and Chief Financial Officer of Orange, while he has also held roles with Oger Telecom, Wizz Air and Millicom.

Duffy is currently Non-Executive Chair of Modern Times Group (MTG), Viaplay Group and LW Theatres, as well as a Non-Executive Director of LW Entertainment Holdings.

Arqiva Chief Executive Shuja Khan said Duffy had emerged as the “outstanding candidate” following a comprehensive search process.

“His deep experience across telecommunications, media and technology, combined with his strategic insight and operational and financial expertise, will bring a valuable perspective to the Board,” Khan said.

Duffy described Arqiva as having “a critical role to play as the markets it serves continue to evolve”, highlighting its distinctive capabilities and long-standing customer relationships.

The appointment is effective 1 October 2026.

Virgin Media is giving eligible TV customers access to its kids’ channels at no additional cost throughout October.

From October 1 to 31, customers will be able to watch channels including Sky Kids, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Boomerang, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. Too, Nicktoons and Baby TV, together with hundreds of on-demand episodes.

The kids’ package normally costs an additional £5 per month.

Programming available during the promotional period includes Pip and Posy’s Spooktacular Party on Sky Kids, Adventure Time Side Quests and The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball: Halloween Special on Cartoon Network, SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon and PAW Patrol on Nick Jr.

The promotion covers the October half-term period and content will also be available away from the home through the Virgin TV Go app. Customers can register up to five devices and stream on two simultaneously.

“We know the school holidays can be a busy time for families, so we’re giving customers access to some of our most popular kids’ channels at no extra cost throughout October,” said Richard Vivian, Director of Commercial Development at Virgin Media O2.

“With favourites from Sky Kids, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Baby TV, alongside hundreds of episodes available on demand, there is plenty for children of all ages to enjoy.”

The Virgin TV Go app is available to Virgin TV customers at no additional charge and includes parental controls.

Netflix has struck a partnership with Spanish independent streaming service Filmin to bring a rotating selection of its films and documentaries to Netflix subscribers in Spain.

From today (October 1), Filmin’s editorial team will select ten titles each month for a dedicated collection on Netflix. Each collection will remain available for two months, with a new selection introduced on the first day of each month.

The first collection, October Mysteries, is themed around the Halloween season. Future selections will reflect seasonal events and themes, including award-winning films around the Academy Awards.

The agreement gives titles previously available through Filmin exposure to Netflix’s significantly broader Spanish audience, while retaining Filmin’s editorial curation.

“We deeply admire Filmin’s commitment to film and documentaries,” said Diego Ávalos, Netflix VP of Content for Spain, Portugal and Turkey. “Together we can offer our audience even more films and documentaries to enjoy, handpicked by Filmin’s editorial team.”

Filmin CEO and founder Juan Carlos Tous described the agreement as recognition of the Spanish platform’s nearly 20 years of work.

“Our goal is to bring the cinema we’re passionate about to the widest possible audience, and this alliance with Netflix gives us a unique opportunity to achieve that,” he said.

Filmin, which specialises in independent, European and arthouse cinema, will license as well as curate the titles included in the monthly Netflix collections.

Marquee TV has entered a global streaming partnership with English National Ballet that will see the arts streaming service invest in filming two new works from the company’s Rhythm Riot triple bill.

The agreement covers Micaela Taylor’s Bow Out and Jae Man Joo’s Auguries of Innocence, both world premieres performed by English National Ballet. Marquee TV is co-investing in the filming of the productions as part of a strategy to extend the availability of new choreography beyond its original stage run.

Bow Out, inspired in part by tap dancers the Nicholas Brothers and featuring an original score by multidisciplinary artist Tru, will premiere exclusively for Marquee TV subscribers on November 27, 2026.

Auguries of Innocence will follow on Marquee TV in November 2027. Choreographed by Jae Man Joo and inspired by William Blake’s poem of the same name, it features music by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks.

Both productions will subsequently become available through English National Ballet’s own Ballet on Demand streaming service.

The partnership also includes two accompanying documentaries, The Making of Bow Out and The Making of Auguries of Innocence, exploring the creative process and artists behind the productions. Each documentary will be released alongside its respective performance.

“This partnership reflects the role we believe a global arts platform should play,” said Edward Humphrey, CEO of Marquee TV. “It’s not simply about making exceptional work available; by investing in these two world premieres, we’re supporting new choreography.”

English National Ballet Artistic Director Aaron S. Watkin said the partnership would help “extend the life of new choreography beyond its first performances”, while providing audiences with greater access to the creative process.

The Rhythm Riot triple bill opened at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre on September 24 and runs until October 3.

MPs have called for a fundamental overhaul of the BBC’s funding and governance, warning that without significant changes the corporation risks being left to “shrink and decline”.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee says the forthcoming Royal Charter represents a “fork in the road” for the BBC and has proposed retaining universal funding while reforming the television licence fee.

Under its recommendations, BBC funding would no longer be linked to watching live television or owning a particular device. The committee suggests that widening the funding base, alongside a reduction in the amount paid by individuals, could provide a fairer and more sustainable model.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the committee, said: “This is a pivotal moment for the BBC. Continue along the current path and we condemn a national institution to managed decline, squandering the immeasurable benefits it brings to our economy and society.”

She said the next Charter could provide “a springboard for the BBC’s success for years to come”, but called on the broadcaster to become leaner and more efficient while the government ensures it has a sustainable and universal source of funding.

Among the committee’s other recommendations is the return of full funding responsibility for the BBC World Service to government. MPs describe the World Service as the UK’s “number one soft power asset”, arguing that its trusted international news output also plays a role in countering misinformation and disinformation.

The report also proposes significant changes to the way audiences find BBC and other public service content. It recommends legislation requiring smart TVs sold in the UK to provide a remote-control shortcut to public service media, alongside measures to give trusted news greater prominence on social platforms.

MPs support the BBC expanding its activities on YouTube, including exploring opportunities to generate revenue from its content, and back opening BBC iPlayer to programming from other public service broadcasters. Channel 4 is already in discussions with the BBC about such an arrangement, building on the existing relationship with S4C. Pasted markdown

The committee also wants the next Charter to be permanent rather than renewed every ten years, arguing that the existing process creates opportunities for political interference and distracts the BBC from its core activities. It recommends removing political and geographical appointments to the BBC board. Pasted markdown

The BBC welcomed the report, saying it contained “some important and interesting recommendations on the future of the BBC”.

“We have consistently argued that the current funding model is outdated and needs reform, so we welcome the committee’s support for maintaining universal funding while overhauling the licence fee,” a BBC spokesperson said.

“We are also pleased to see their recognition of the vital work of the World Service, with a clear recommendation that responsibility for funding should return fully to government.”

The BBC said it recognised the need “to evolve and move faster towards the future” and would consider the recommendations as it continues discussions with the government over the next Royal Charter, which will establish the corporation’s governance, regulation and funding arrangements from 2028.

The new service launched in Austria on Wednesday. Existing Sky X customers will be migrated to WOW over the coming days. They will be able to access the new service using their existing login credentials after downloading the WOW app. Until the migration is completed, Sky X will remain available.

WOW offers personalised profiles, content recommendations, watchlists and an enhanced search function. The service is available on a range of smart TVs, streaming devices, smartphones, tablets and games consoles, as well as PC and Mac.

“With WOW, a new chapter for streaming in Austria begins. Our goal is to combine the most popular premium content with an app tailored to the needs of today’s users,” said Caterina Preti, Managing Director RTL | Sky Österreich. “WOW delivers exactly that: an internationally successful streaming service combined with a unique content portfolio of live sports, blockbusters and top series. This combination is unique on the Austrian market in this form.”

The content line-up includes Sky Sport’s live sports offering, with the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, the Austrian Bundesliga, the Premier League and the German Bundesliga. International tennis, motorsport and golf, as well as the NFL, NHL and NBA, are also available.

On the entertainment side, the Sky Original series WAR, starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller, will launch on 5 October. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be added to the service on 2 October.

WOW will also introduce a new bundle combining RTL+ with WOW Serien & Filme later this year. The package will bring together international series, films and entertainment programming from both services. Further details, including the launch date and pricing, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.