Discussion: “The Future of Video” at AGF Forum 2026. From left: Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf (AGF Videoforschung), Dirk Bruns (YouTube), Frank Vogel (Ad Alliance), Kristina Bulle (Procter & Gamble/OWM), Andrea Biebl (iProspect/Dentsu X/MWO) and Juliane Paperlein (Moderator)

The integration forms part of a comprehensive overhaul of AGF’s research system that is scheduled to enter operation from 2028. Under the new architecture, the organisation will combine its established representative panel measurement with anonymised usage data collected directly from connected TV devices.

AGF presented the plans at its AGF Forum in Frankfurt on 17 September 2026, where around 300 representatives from the media, advertising and research industries gathered under the theme “See Beyond the Screen”. The upgraded system will consist of five interconnected components, with the integration of return-path data forming the first element.

HbbTV data to supplement AGF panel

AGF’s panel will remain the methodological and modelling benchmark, but will be supplemented by HbbTV usage data. The data is currently modelled on the basis of more than 1.7 million devices with actual measured usage. The target architecture is expected to cover around 3.4 million measured devices.

This will create what AGF describes as a hybrid data foundation, combining representative panel data with a large pool of anonymised device-level information. The objective is to improve the representation of fragmented viewing scenarios, particularly for smaller offerings and niche target groups.

The move follows a proof-of-concept launched by AGF in May 2025. The six-month trial was conducted with technology partner TV Insight and involved around 100 broadcasters. It tested whether return-channel data from HbbTV-enabled television sets and Sky Deutschland set-top boxes could enhance the existing panel-based measurement. Viewers were required to give explicit consent for the collection of data through banners displayed on participating HbbTV channels.

The project was extended in 2026 as AGF continued to work through the methodological and technical requirements.

AGF’s latest plans indicate that the HbbTV data will not replace the panel. Instead, the two sources will be combined, allowing the panel to provide the representative basis while device-level data supplies much greater granularity on actual usage.

Austria provides a reference point

The approach has already been implemented in Austria. The Austrian Teletest 2.0 system, launched in September 2024, supplements traditional panel measurement with real-time usage data from more than one million HbbTV devices. After 200 days of operation, AGTT and Screenforce Österreich reported positive results, including a significant reduction in zero-reach readings.

The Austrian implementation provided an important reference for AGF as it explored the use of HbbTV return-channel data in Germany. The German project is nevertheless being developed within AGF’s own national measurement framework, with the established panel retaining its role as the representative benchmark.

Five-part architecture for 2028

In Germany, AGF is not only integrating HbbTV data with its existing panel, but also developing a broader architecture covering linear television, connected TV and streaming services. The organisation has also had to accommodate measurement of global platforms such as Amazon Prime Video.

The new system will therefore extend beyond return-channel data. AGF plans a dedicated connected TV device category covering streaming and static-display usage on the big screen, including shared viewing.

A virtual panel comprising around 800,000 synthetically generated cases is also planned. It is intended to mirror the representative AGF panel and represent the wider video universe at person level, bringing together linear TV, streaming and static display on a deduplicated basis.

AGF is additionally developing a new digital data model that will work with individual usage elements rather than only predefined aggregates. Measured views will be transferable at a granular level, down to individual videos, allowing deduplicated net reach to be calculated for freely selected combinations of content offerings and time periods.

The fifth component in AGF’s new approach is cross-media campaign measurement, which will extend AGF’s measurement scope from content to campaigns. Planned metrics include deduplicated net reach, target-group structures and incremental reach across media and channels.

To support this, AGF is developing cross-platform campaign IDs and metadata. The resulting data is intended to be integrated into reporting systems and made available through APIs.

The roadmap envisages 2027 as a transition and testing year, during which the individual components will be tested progressively and moved into parallel operation. From January 2028, the new dataset could become the sole measurement standard.

Measuring an increasingly fragmented video market

The move towards greater use of device-level data comes as traditional TV measurement faces an increasingly fragmented video market. AGF’s “Video 2030” study, presented at the AGF Forum, found that overall video consumption remains high but that viewing is shifting significantly from linear to non-linear consumption. Global aggregators, new gatekeepers and AI are also gaining influence over content production, discovery and consumption.

For AGF, the challenge is therefore not simply to collect more viewing data, but to create a common measurement framework in which increasingly diverse forms of video consumption can be compared.

“The market does not simply need more numbers; it needs a common frame of reference,” said Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf, CEO of AGF Videoforschung, at the AGF Forum in Frankfurt. “We need to look beyond the screen and understand how data is generated, what it represents and whether media are being measured on a comparable basis.”

AGF stresses need for independent national measurement standard

The AGF Forum concluded with the panel discussion “The Future of Video”, moderated by journalist Juliane Paperlein. Andrea Biebl (iProspect/Dentsu X/MWO), Dirk Bruns (YouTube), Kristina Bulle (Procter & Gamble/OWM), Frank Vogel (Ad Alliance) and Kerstin Niederauer-Kopf discussed shifting advertising budgets, the requirements for independent and comparable measurement, and the integration of global platforms into a common market standard.

Bulle advocated for independent measurement and welcomed the fact that, alongside local providers, Amazon is also participating in AGF measurement. During the debate over the comparability of proprietary platform data, Bruns said: “There will continue to be a variety of data sources, each of which has its own value. At the same time, there is no question that AGF remains the standard for video measurement in Germany.”

Niederauer-Kopf concluded: “Independent audience measurement must remain transparent, comprehensible and verifiable. This is not an area where we can afford to become complacent. It is our responsibility to provide the market with exactly that – and it is the responsibility of clients and agencies to demand it.”

Dotscreen is addressing growing fragmentation in smart TV operating systems while helping broadcasters introduce targeted advertising and interactive multiview experiences.

Speaking to Broadband TV News at IBC2026, Vincent Gattone said new entrants such as Titan OS and Amazon’s Vega OS reflect manufacturers’ ambitions to control monetisation and app partnerships.

He argued that well-structured applications can make expansion manageable, with some HTML5 and JavaScript apps transferable between platforms in days rather than months.

Dotscreen has also worked with Bitmovin, Ad Insertion Platform and Red Bee on a server-guided ad insertion deployment for Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. Gattone said its role included integration, testing and ensuring a consistent viewing experience across devices.

Meanwhile, a partnership with Broadpeak brings multiview to smart TVs with limited processing power. Viewers select their preferred feeds and layout through Dotscreen’s interface, while Broadpeak combines the streams remotely, delivering them through a single video player.

Gattone sees applications in sports, including racing and simultaneous matches, alongside news coverage during elections.

Customer projects include Samsung and LG apps for Canada’s TV5+, automotive expansion for France 24, and an RMC+ rollout across 19 platforms, illustrating how broadcasters are extending their reach and building relationships with audiences across connected devices.

Scalstrm demonstrated how it can deliver 110 broadcast-grade HD channels from a single 1U server at IBC 2026, combining its software platform with dedicated video processing hardware from NETINT.

Speaking to Broadband TV News, Jon Haley, Chief Revenue Officer at Scalstrm, explained how the approach helps broadcasters and pay-TV operators expand services while reducing infrastructure costs.

NETINT’s video processing units handle decoding, scaling and encoding, while Scalstrm’s software provides the control needed to manage large numbers of simultaneous channels. This includes workload balancing, performance optimisation and recovery from errors during operation.

Haley sees demand from operators managing hundreds of channels, alongside broadcasters seeking affordable ways to launch temporary services for smaller sports competitions, weekend fixtures and other events.

Deployments can run on premises, in the cloud or across hybrid environments. Haley highlighted VPU availability through providers including Akamai and NetActuate, with some broadcasters and sports providers choosing to operate the technology in their own data centres.

He cited Dutch public broadcaster NPO and Ziggo Sport among customers benefiting from the company’s approach.

Further development will focus on greater channel density, support for new codecs and additional features, including AI optimisation, as Scalstrm looks to drive down the cost of delivering video.

Frank Plückhahn was re-elected as deputy chairman and Franz Ziener as treasurer. Thomas Pester joins the executive board as an additional deputy chairman, replacing Daniel Niebuhr, who has stepped down from the board. The wider board comprises Rico Gerhardt, Franz-Josef Kukuk, Andreas Sack and Jens Einhardt.

The elections took place during the 29th FRK Broadband Congress in Leipzig, where the association focused on the challenges facing small and medium-sized cable operators, particularly the rollout of fibre networks in Germany.

A potential return of collective billing (Sammelinkasso) was highlighted as one of the positive developments for FRK members. Berger (pictured) and FRK legal adviser Tim Staupendahl reported on the recent oral hearing at the Federal Constitutional Court concerning the special termination right under the Telecommunications Act and the abolition of the possibility for landlords to pass cable TV costs on to tenants through service charges.

FRK believes the court could overturn the relevant provisions, potentially clearing the way for a return to collective billing. “That would be an enormous reduction in bureaucracy for both our members and the housing industry,” said Berger. He added that many housing companies supported the reintroduction of the system.

Negotiations with collecting society Corint Media are also close to completion. “We are very satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations,” said Berger. “Equal treatment with other associations was at the centre of the discussions. Nevertheless, we were able to secure points that are important to our members.”

The congress also addressed the changing economics of fibre deployment, with presentations covering artificial intelligence, customer management, network planning and infrastructure modernisation. The programme included solutions aimed at shortening the time between building fibre connections and generating revenue.

Tim Brauckmüller, Managing Director of aconium, which acts as project manager for the federal broadband funding programme, presented measures aimed at simplifying and reducing bureaucracy in the funding process.

According to Berger, the association has received positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors and now turns its attention to next year’s 30th Broadband Congress, scheduled for 15-16 September 2027 in Leipzig.

Arqiva, through its partnership with Kordia, has been selected by SANZAAR to provide global content distribution for the remainder of its 2026 international rugby programme.

The agreement extends an existing relationship under which Arqiva has supported the delivery of Super Rugby Pacific to broadcasters worldwide.

Arqiva will distribute coverage including Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and international matches hosted by the SANZAAR unions through its Arqade Connect connectivity service.

Gaurav Jandwani, Executive Director, Media & Broadcast at Arqiva, said: “As audiences increasingly expect live sport to be available wherever and whenever they choose to watch, dependable distribution has never been more important.”

Brendan Morris, CEO of SANZAAR, said the company’s reliability, technical expertise and global distribution capabilities would help ensure its World Feed reached broadcasters and fans with consistent quality.

SANZAAR oversees rugby competitions involving South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

Roku has unveiled Roku Labs, a programme giving viewers early access to experimental apps, as part of a wider platform update covering subscription bundles, discovery and the international rollout of its redesigned home screen.

Launching initially in the United Stayes, Roku Labs will be accessible through a dedicated tile on the Roku home screen. Viewers will be able to test apps in development and provide feedback to help shape future features.

Four experiences will be available for testing at launch: Roku Stocks, Roku Weather, Backdrops Studio for creating custom screen artwork, and Roku Immerse, which offers scenic screensaver environments. Roku said its original game Roku City Dash had already graduated from the programme and was now available to viewers.

Brian Pinkerton, SVP Advanced Development at Roku, said the initiative would give households “a seat at the table to explore, test, and shape experiences in real time”.

The wider update will bring Roku’s redesigned home screen to Brazil and Mexico in the coming months, with localised content destinations and a tailored For You section.

Roku is also introducing Premium Subscription bundles in the United States and Mexico. In the United States, more than 30 combinations include services such as AMC+, FOX One, Hallmark+, Howdy and STARZ. Roku says the bundles offer savings of up to 30% compared with taking subscriptions individually.

Discovery changes include personalised explanations in search results, showing why titles have been recommended based on viewers’ preferences, watch history and trending content. Roku Voice is also adding on-screen weather information, including temperature, humidity, precipitation and wind, accessible from anywhere on the platform.

Roku said the new OS features would roll out across all Roku TV models and streaming devices in the US over the coming months.

Separately, the company announced it is open-sourcing Roku LT OS, the lightweight operating system used in its remotes and Roku Smart Home products. The software will be available free, alongside a development kit and video training series.

San Jose State University’s Spartan Racing team is using Roku LT in a four-motor electric race car scheduled to compete in summer 2027.

The new additions include Spiegel TV Konflikte and Top True Crime, alongside ARD Plus Krimi, ARD Plus Lindenstraße, ARD Plus Zoo, ZDF kocht!, 5-Minute Crafts, scooore, Landlust, Curiosity Now, Naruto, Marco Polo TV and Talk?Now!. AMC Stories is also being added, while Dating hinter Gittern will follow shortly.

Several of the new channels come from ARD Plus, a subsidiary of WDR mediagroup, and are made available through partner High View. AMC Stories and Dating hinter Gittern are supplied by AMC Global Media Central Europe.

The FAST Channels are delivered as individual internet streams through Vodafone’s GigaTV Home and GigaTV Home Sound receivers. They have dedicated positions in the electronic programme guide (EPG), allowing viewers to access them without installing an additional app. Amagi provides the technical delivery platform.

“With the new FAST Channels, we are responding even more closely to the specific interests of our customers,” said Nicole Offergeld, Head of Content & Platform Entertainment at Vodafone. “With the curated, genre-based channels, we are offering our customers a broader range of programming and strengthening GigaTV as a central entertainment platform for TV channels, streaming services, media libraries and video-on-demand offerings.”

Vodafone previously introduced seven FAST Channels on GigaTV. The platform will have a total of 23 FAST Channels once the latest additions have all been launched.

United Group has begun the regional rollout of EON 3.0, the third generation of its cloud-based television platform, with the company expecting an increasing proportion of customers to access its pay-TV services without a set-top box.

The new platform provides a common technology base for United Group operators Vivacom, Nova and Telemach, while allowing each to retain its own branding. It is already live with Telemach in Slovenia and launched with Vivacom in Bulgaria on September 16. Greece, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro will follow.

EON 3.0 places a redesigned electronic programme guide and AI-driven recommendations at the centre of the user experience. Recommendations adapt to individual household profiles, while search covers titles, genres and actors.

Significantly, United Group says the smart TV, mobile and tablet apps now provide the same EPG, content and personalisation features as its set-top box. CEO Stan Miller said this could remove the need for hardware and engineer installations in many homes, allowing customers to begin watching within minutes.

Set-top boxes remain available, with a new EON Smart Box offering performance up to 50% faster than its predecessor and Wi-Fi 6 support.

The platform provides access to more than 1,500 channels and 67,000 on-demand titles, with accessibility improvements including multiple audio tracks and subtitles.

Under the deal, A1 is providing uplink services, satellite capacity, conditional access system integration, monitoring and technical support. The channel is transmitted from A1’s Aflenz Teleport in Austria to Eutelsat 16A at 16° East.

The signal is being delivered to platforms and operators in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Greece. A1 previously distributed a standard-definition version of Da Vinci for internal use within the A1 Group.

“We are truly delighted to deepen our partnership with CosmoBlue Media and to play a central role in bringing Da Vinci – a high-quality, educational channel with a distinctive voice – to viewers across Central and Eastern Europe in full HD,” said Elena Petrova, Head of Group Content and Media Solutions, A1 International Business.

Levent Gültan, Chief Revenue & Strategy Officer, CosmoBlue Media, added: “By upgrading to HD distribution via Eutelsat 16A, we are ensuring that families and viewers across Central and Eastern Europe receive the highest quality content experience.”

The companies are also exploring further cooperation, including the rollout of CosmoBlue- and Da Vinci-branded applications and channel offerings across A1 territories. The plans would extend the partnership into digital and streaming services alongside the existing satellite distribution.

The majority of the reductions are expected to take place this year, RTL confirmed in a statement.

Around 150 positions are expected to disappear through contracts reaching their end and vacant posts not being filled. RTL stressed the workforce reduction would be carried out in consultation with the relevant works councils and that the companies intended to avoid compulsory redundancies.

The cuts are part of a programme to generate annual synergies of €250 million within three years following RTL Group’s acquisition of Sky Deutschland. “The largest part of this comes from optimising content and non-content costs. In addition, duplicate structures will be eliminated, responsibilities bundled and more efficient and future-oriented decision-making processes created,” RTL said.

The integration brings together RTL Deutschland’s television channels and streaming service RTL+ with Sky’s pay-TV and streaming operations, including Wow. According to RTL, the combined business will invest around €2.5 billion annually in content and use the RTL, RTL+ and Sky platforms to distribute these investments.

The companies had already begun restructuring before the Sky transaction. RTL Deutschland announced at the end of 2025 that around 600 jobs would be cut as part of its “Shift 2026” programme.

The latest reductions bring a further significant workforce reduction as RTL and Sky combine their organisations and seek to reduce overlapping structures. Details of how the approximately 500 lost jobs will be distributed between the two companies have not yet been disclosed.

RTL Group acquired Sky Deutschland earlier this year as part of a strategy to strengthen its position in television and streaming and expand its subscription business. The group has also highlighted the potential to reduce its reliance on the traditional TV advertising market through a larger pay-TV and streaming operation.