Virgin Media O2 has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement with egg Power to source solar energy from a new solar farm in Suffolk.

The site is expected to become operational in 2027 and will supply around 5% of Virgin Media O2’s total energy needs.

The agreement follows a 2025 wind energy deal with The Renewables Infrastructure Group. Together, the two arrangements mean around 20% of Virgin Media O2’s energy supply will come from power purchase agreements.

Virgin Media O2 said the deal supports its commitment to use renewable energy at sites where it controls the bill, while helping to secure long-term clean energy at predictable costs.

The agreement forms part of the company’s Better Connections Plan, which includes a target to reach net zero carbon emissions across its full value chain by the end of 2040.

Mark Hardman, director of finance operations at Virgin Media O2, said the deal is the latest step in the company’s net zero journey and reflects its focus on cutting carbon while sourcing renewable energy in the UK.

egg Power is part of Liberty Growth, Liberty Global’s investment arm. Ilesh Patel, who leads egg Power at Liberty Global, said the agreement supports its ambition to become a clean energy supplier for telecoms and digital infrastructure providers.

Telenet has introduced a revamped product line-up designed to let customers build more flexible combinations of internet, mobile, fixed telephony, TV and entertainment services.

The Belgian operator said the new offer is intended to simplify choice by allowing each product and option to be priced separately, giving customers a clearer view of what they are paying for and making it easier to adapt packages over time.

Premium entertainment and streaming services including Streamz, Play Sports, Disney+, Netflix and YouTube Premium will also be available individually, without requiring a digital TV subscription.

After the first 30 days, streaming options can be stopped at any time, with billing adjusted immediately. Telenet said customers taking streaming services through its platform will also receive a price advantage.

The operator said the move follows research showing that 8 out of 10 customers want more mix-and-match flexibility, simplicity and personalised telecom services that can evolve with their needs.

To support the new structure, Telenet will provide personalised recommendations based on customer profiles, current usage and existing services. Proposals will be delivered through the My Telenet app and email, while customers can also get support online, by phone, in store and through the TV interface.

Dieter Nieuwdorp, chief commercial officer at Telenet, said the new line-up makes telecom and entertainment “as personal as possible”, while ensuring customers remain in control of their choices.

The new offer is available from April 27 and is being supported by a national media campaign focused on freedom of choice and customisation.

V, the company behind VIDAA, has expanded its advertising partnership with Rakuten TV Enterprise across key European markets, including Germany, the UK and France.

The agreement will see Rakuten TV Enterprise deliver targeted advertising within the VIDAA ecosystem, covering in-stream video inventory across the TV Channels service and native display placements on the TV interface, including the home screen.

The deal builds on an existing relationship between the two companies in Europe, where the Rakuten TV app is already available on VIDAA-powered devices and selected Rakuten TV streaming channels are included in the TV Channels offer.

“Our relationship with Rakuten TV Enterprise is built on a shared vision for the future of connected TV advertising in Europe,” said Assaf Suprasky, senior director media sales at V. “By combining VIDAA’s scale with Rakuten TV’s expertise in advertising, we are creating meaningful opportunities for brands to connect with audiences in a premium, content-driven environment.”

Rakuten TV Enterprise said the agreement allows it to extend advertising beyond the Rakuten TV app and into VIDAA home screen and in-stream environments.

Stuart Keith, VP global ad strategy and partnerships at Rakuten TV Enterprise, said the partnership gives advertisers “a truly comprehensive CTV solution”, adding that brands can now combine “high-impact awareness through premium Home Screen display creatives” with “targeted, measurable engagement via in-stream inventory”.

The move reflects the growing importance of smart TV operating systems as advertising platforms, with home screen placements and FAST channel inventory becoming increasingly valuable parts of the connected TV ecosystem.

IBC has opened nominations for its 2026 Innovation Awards, recognising real-world technology projects across the global media and entertainment industry.

Entries are open across 4 categories: Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere and Social Impact. Environmental and sustainability initiatives will now be included within the Social Impact category.

The awards are designed to recognise completed projects that demonstrate innovation, collaboration and measurable industry impact.

Fergal Ringrose, chair of the IBC Innovation Awards jury, said the industry is seeing major change driven by software-defined, virtualised, 5G-based and agentic AI technologies, adding that the awards will highlight projects delivering breakthrough workflows and consumer experiences.

Nominations close at midnight BST on Friday 29 May, with winners to be announced during the IBC2026 Awards reception at the RAI Amsterdam on September 13.

Last year’s winners included NHK Japan, ZDF/ARTE, Sky Group, the Alliance for Open Media, Meta, Intel, the ACLU and SK Telecom, with projects spanning cloud-native distribution, mobile video efficiency, citizen journalism tools and energy-efficient UHD upscaling.

CANAL+ has reported broadly flat revenues for the first quarter of 2026, as the group moves into the operational phase of its post-acquisition strategy following the addition of MultiChoice Group.

Total group revenues reached €2.17 billion, down 0.4% on a comparable basis including MultiChoice, but up 1.8% to €1.57 billion when excluding the African business. On a reported basis, revenues increased 41% reflecting the enlarged scale of the group.

CEO Maxime Saada said the company had made a “solid start” to the year, with execution of its strategy now underway and early synergies from the MultiChoice deal being delivered in line with expectations.

In Europe, revenues fell 1.6% to €1.13 billion, following the end of the distribution of DAZN in France, as well as the divestment of the DTH subscriber base in Hungary in 2025. However, Poland remained a bright spot, with continued growth in OTT subscriptions and advertising revenues. The OTT business in Austria also made a strong start.

Africa and Asia revenues rose sharply to €889 million due to the inclusion of MultiChoice, though on a like-for-like basis revenues declined slightly, reflecting ongoing pressure on the South African operator’s non-subscription income. Subscription revenues remained broadly stable at constant currency.

The group confirmed that its MultiChoice turnaround plan is now in motion, including expanded sales operations and revised pricing strategies. At the same time, CANAL+ is progressing with cost synergies, targeting €250 million in savings in 2026.

Streaming also remains a key area of transition. The group will phase out the Showmax OTT service by the end of April, migrating content and users onto MultiChoice’s DStv platform as part of a broader platform consolidation strategy.

Content production arm STUDIOCANAL delivered a strong performance, with revenues up 9% driven by box office success across multiple territories and continued growth in content licensing.

Elsewhere, video platform Dailymotion reported advertising growth, particularly in the US, alongside expansion of its professional services offering.

CANAL+ reiterated its full-year guidance, expecting flat revenues and adjusted EBIT of €735 million, with free cash flow above €250 million.

The group is also preparing for a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on 3 June, marking a key milestone following its expansion into African markets.

The European Broadcasting Union has launched a global search for missing recordings of the 1956 and 1964 editions of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The appeal comes as Eurovision marks its 70th anniversary, with the EBU asking fans, collectors, broadcasters and archivists to help locate footage from two of the contest’s earliest broadcasts.

No complete recordings of the 1956 contest in Lugano or the 1964 contest in Copenhagen exist in the archives of their original host broadcasters, SRG SSR and DR.

The EBU said the missing editions reflect the realities of early television, when recordings were not always preserved and expensive tape was often wiped and reused.

Only audio, fragments and still material are known to survive, although previously lost footage of Gigliola Cinquetti’s winning 1964 performance was recently rediscovered by Yle in Finland and added to the official Eurovision archive.

The EBU is now seeking full recordings, partial footage, home recordings, photographs or film material that could help rebuild the missing broadcasts.

Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, described the appeal as “a global treasure hunt”, adding that even small discoveries could help complete the contest’s archive.

Anyone with relevant material is being asked to contact the EBU.

In the newly created role, Poloni will oversee Growth & Digital Business, Technology, Data & AI, Content Operations, Distribution and Human Resources.

The appointment comes as ProSiebenSat.1 continues its transformation strategy under its new CEO Marco Giordani. Poloni joined the company in October 2025 and has since worked closely with Giordani on strategic and operational priorities.

Poloni brings more than three decades of international leadership experience in technology, innovation and digital transformation. During the past ten years, he held several senior roles within parent company MFE-MediaForEurope, most recently serving as Group Chief Technology Officer, where he was responsible for IT, digital and broadcasting technology.

Before joining the media sector, Poloni worked in marketing roles across Italy and France for a consumer goods company before moving into strategy consulting, becoming a partner in 2008 and advising major European businesses on growth strategies and transformation programmes.

“As the transformation of ProSiebenSat.1 advances, innovation, technology and AI are becoming even more critical success factors across the Group. With Luca Poloni, we are bringing exceptional expertise in these fields to the Executive Board. His deep operational experience and strong track record in driving complex transformations will significantly strengthen our ability to execute our strategy with precision and speed,” said Maria Kyriacou, Chair of the Supervisory Board of ProSiebenSat.1.

Giordani added: “Over the past months, we have laid the foundation for the strategic direction of ProSiebenSat.1. Now, our focus is on execution. With Luca Poloni as COO and Bob Rajan as CFO on our Executive Board and Henrik Pabst as Chief Content Officer and Nicola Lussana as CEO Seven.One Media, we have the right leadership team in place to further strengthen operational execution and drive the transformation of ProSiebenSat.1.”

EE TV has launched new AI-powered discovery features after research found UK viewers spend an average of 28 hours a year searching for something to watch.

The BT-owned platform said its new Smart Search tool is designed to reduce “doombrowsing” by allowing users to search using natural language rather than exact programme titles.

Viewers can describe a mood, theme, plot or half-remembered detail, with results pulled from live TV, on-demand and streaming apps in one place.

EE TV has also launched Mood Matcher, which asks users a series of questions about how they feel and then recommends content based on their responses.

The research, conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 UK respondents, found that 54% of viewers believe they spend longer browsing than watching, while 66% said they had fallen asleep before choosing something.

It also found that 51% feel overwhelmed by the amount of choice, 38% have given up and gone to bed without watching anything, and 45% default to familiar shows to avoid deciding.

Luciano Oliveira, director of product, home and TV at EE, said Smart Search and Mood Matcher are intended to make content discovery faster and less frustrating.

Both features are available through the EE TV app on compatible devices, with rollout planned for EE TV Pro and EE TV Box Edge customers.

Stagwell has partnered with FreeWheel to build a unified TV advertising infrastructure across connected TV, linear and live sports.

The integration will give Stagwell agencies direct access to FreeWheel’s premium video and CTV supply infrastructure, with the aim of improving transparency, reducing adtech fees and simplifying access to high-value inventory.

FreeWheel’s Curation Hub and Buyer Cloud will be integrated into Stagwell’s media acquisition layer and used to power Stagwell Curate, a central marketplace for curated premium supply across the Stagwell network.

Stagwell said the platform will allow agencies to work more directly with publishers, improving activation speed and reducing friction in the buying process.

Matt Adams, global CEO of Stagwell Media Platform, said the partnership gives the group access to premium supply and proprietary data, helping clients achieve better outcomes in CTV.

Kris Magel, VP, head of global agency partnerships at FreeWheel, said the agreement gives Stagwell greater control of the programmatic supply chain, while reducing unnecessary technology costs and increasing working media for advertisers.

The move reflects continued convergence between streaming and linear advertising, as agencies seek more direct paths to premium video inventory and better measurement across screens.

Samsung Electronics has launched a UK campaign with former England footballer Joe Cole to help pubs upgrade their TV technology ahead of a major summer of football.

The Raise the Bar initiative will allow customers to nominate local pubs for a technology upgrade, with shortlisted venues receiving Samsung TVs and promotional support.

Samsung said the campaign is designed to improve the match-day viewing experience and help pubs attract more customers during major sporting events, at a time when many venues are under pressure from rising operating costs.

The company said its research found that pub owners see high-quality TV technology as important for increasing revenue during tournaments, but that many are struggling to invest in upgrades.

Cole said pubs remain central to the communal football experience and that picture and sound quality can make a significant difference to the atmosphere on match days.

Under the campaign, 11 venues will be shortlisted. 10 will receive Samsung TVs and marketing support, while one overall winner will receive a larger transformation including an advanced TV setup and additional promotional backing.

Samsung said the initiative reflects both its sports marketing strategy and the role of premium display technology in shared entertainment environments.