Nearly 1,000 accredited industry professionals attended the Seriencamp Conference, while the accompanying Seriencamp Festival drew around 4,000 visitors, reinforcing the event’s growing importance within the European television industry.

Alongside debates on the impact of AI on series production, industry executives, producers and writers pitched new projects, explored co-production opportunities and presented series in development during the three-day conference, which ran from 9 to 11 June 2026.

The public-facing Seriencamp Festival showcased around 20 series premieres, including German productions All Heroes Are Bastards and The Flaws, both of which received extended standing ovations. International titles including Happiness, Trespasses, Annie and Fadia were also screened, with several making their German or world premieres in Cologne.

Actors and creators attending screenings and red-carpet events included Helena Zengel, Merlin Sandmeyer, Aylin Tezel, Kebir Sefer Sargin, Collien Fernandes, Tim Sander, Detlef Soost, Max von der Groeben, Jannik Schümann and Veronica Ferres.

The French drama Happiness won the Seriencamp Audience Choice Award. The series, centred on an Iranian student in Paris, finished ahead of The Flaws in second place and Club der Roten Bänder – Die Neue Generation in third.

The Seriencamp Critics’ Choice Award, selected by a jury comprising Arabella Wintermayr, Dominik Porschen and Patrick Heidmann, went to the British-Northern Irish drama Trespasses.

Other honours presented during the week included the Official Competition Award for Arne Feldhusen’s comedy The Flaws. In the Short Form Competition, the jury awarded a joint victory to Australian dark comedy Buried and German-Austrian production Sheep.

“We are thrilled to see awards go to series like The Flaws, which take stylistic risks, or Happiness, which is incredibly attuned to current events. Of course, we also want to thank the Cologne audience, who turned out in large numbers over the three days of the festival, filled the theatres, and showed so much enthusiasm. That’s why we’re looking forward all the more to next year with the promise of making the Seriencamp Festival 2027 even bigger and better,” said Seriencamp Co-Managing Director Malko Solf.

Seriencamp Artistic Director and co-founder Gerhard Maier added: “We’re always thrilled to see the results of months of preparation and planning. This applies both to the selection of topics and speakers and to the selection of projects. Above all, however, we’re thrilled that our visitors discover what’s particularly close to our hearts, creating a warm atmosphere and a pleasant environment where the industry enjoys meeting, networking and showcasing its work.”

The European Series Development Award, presented by the Council of Europe, went to the German political thriller Radio Free Europe. The Co-Productions Pitch Award was awarded to Icelandic band biography Gusgus, while Czech horror-comedy concept Paralegal received the Writers Vision Pitch Award. The award includes €50,000 in development support.

Anke Greifeneder, Vice President of Local Original Production for GSA & France at Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max, received the 2026 Deadline German TV Disruptor Award.

The event is backed by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, which have served as principal sponsors since 2023.

The next Seriencamp and Seriencamp Conference will take place in Cologne from 8 to 10 June 2027.

Disney+ and Dutch public broadcaster NPO have announced their first collaboration, with the Dutch version of reality competition format Wolven: het spel van list en bedrog set to premiere simultaneously across both services later this summer.

The series will launch on 29 August on NPO 1 through broadcaster BNNVARA, while episodes will also be available weekly on NPO Start and Disney+.

The deal represents a notable move for the Dutch public broadcaster and continues Disney+’s growing strategy of partnering with free-to-air broadcasters across Europe to expand the reach of local productions.

The format, based on the French original Loups, combines strategy, deception and social gameplay. It will be hosted by comedian Pieter Derks and presenter Soundos El Ahmadi and produced by Banijay label SimpelZodiak.

Lucien Brouwer, member of NPO’s Executive Board, said the partnership reflected a desire to reach broader audiences.

“With this collaboration, we are taking an important step in how we, as a public broadcaster, aim to work with commercial organisations,” he said. “We strongly believe in working together to reach even more people in the Netherlands with our content.”

Karl Holmes, General Manager of Disney+ EMEA, said the series was well suited to communal viewing.

“Wolven promises to be a great show, with lots of intrigue that keeps you guessing. It’s the kind of show you want to watch together,” he said.

The project forms part of Disney+’s wider European partnership strategy, which has already seen the streamer collaborate with broadcasters including ITV in the UK, RTVE and Atresmedia in Spain, Rai in Italy and German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

The original format was created by Fary and Panayotis Pascot and first commissioned by Canal+ in France, where it has run for three seasons. International distribution is handled by STUDIOCANAL and Dreamspark, while adaptations are being developed across multiple territories through Banijay Entertainment.

The Dutch production will be filmed this summer at the format’s dedicated production hub in France.

CableLabs has announced a significant milestone in the industry’s transition towards DOCSIS 4.0, with cable modem devices from six manufacturers achieving DOCSIS 3.1 Verified for Interoperability (VFI) status.

Devices from GemTek, Hitron, MaxLinear, Sagemcom, Sercomm and Ubee have successfully completed interoperability testing through the CableLabs DOCSIS Certification programme. The certified devices include products based on chipsets from both Broadcom and MaxLinear.

CableLabs said the achievement represents an important early step in the DOCSIS 4.0 certification process, validating that devices can operate reliably within multi-vendor DOCSIS 3.1 network environments before progressing to more advanced DOCSIS 4.0 testing.

DOCSIS 3.1 VFI status serves as a prerequisite for full DOCSIS 4.0 certification, providing operators with confidence that equipment from different vendors can interoperate successfully in deployed networks.

The milestone covers devices supporting both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Full Duplex (FDX) variants of DOCSIS 4.0, creating a common foundation for future deployments regardless of the upgrade path chosen by operators.

CableLabs said interoperability testing is designed to reduce deployment complexity and ensure standards-based operation across equipment from multiple suppliers. The organisation provides a neutral validation environment where manufacturers can test products against a range of implementations before commercial deployment.

The certification programme forms part of CableLabs’ wider network evolution strategy, which aims to support the cable industry’s move towards higher-capacity and more flexible broadband networks.

While the VFI milestone validates interoperability within existing DOCSIS 3.1 environments, devices will now progress through additional testing phases as part of the full DOCSIS 4.0 certification programme.

DOCSIS 4.0 is expected to enable multi-gigabit broadband services through a combination of higher network capacity, improved upstream performance and enhanced spectral efficiency, supporting the next generation of broadband applications and services.

Redge Technologies has expanded the digital platform it provides to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN with a suite of new sports-focused features ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The enhancements build on Redge’s existing partnership with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation and local systems integrator AVCOM, adding interactive match data, vertical video feeds, personalised recommendations and enhanced live viewing capabilities.

KAN holds exclusive rights to the tournament in Israel and plans to broadcast matches in 4K.

Among the new features is EnhancedLIVE, an interactive timeline that allows viewers to jump directly to key moments within a live match. Goals, penalties and disciplinary incidents are highlighted on the programme timeline and linked to individual video segments. The functionality is powered by data and metadata supplied by sports technology specialist WSC Sports.

Redge has also introduced a TikTok-style vertical video experience featuring short-form highlights, match clips and curated content feeds. The feature is available across mobile devices and connected TV platforms.

Each World Cup fixture will also receive a dedicated match hub bringing together live streams, highlights, interviews and statistics. Match data will be supplied through an integrated widget from sports data specialist Statscore.

Additional functionality includes a content recommendation screensaver that appears when viewers pause playback or reach the end of a programme, directing audiences towards related content and additional tournament coverage.

The project expands the platform originally delivered by Redge for KAN, which combines the company’s service delivery and video delivery platforms under a unified architecture. The service supports Android, Apple, Samsung, Hisense and LG devices through KAN’s connected TV applications.

Przemysław Frasunek, CEO of Redge Technologies, said the project demonstrated how broadcasters were increasingly looking beyond basic streaming functionality for major live events.

The company said all features are delivered through a single platform architecture and supported by local content delivery infrastructure in Israel designed to handle the demands of large-scale live sports streaming.

The deployment reflects a wider trend among broadcasters preparing enhanced digital experiences around the FIFA World Cup, with interactive features, short-form content and real-time statistics becoming increasingly important alongside traditional live coverage.

Italian authorities have dismantled three illegal IPTV distribution centres in the southern city of Crotone as part of a wider anti-piracy operation targeting unauthorised access to premium television services.

The investigation, led by the Guardia di Finanza with support from specialist anti-fraud and technology units, identified four individuals allegedly involved in distributing illegal subscriptions that provided access to content from leading pay television and streaming platforms.

According to investigators, the operation served at least 2,769 identified customers across 43 Italian provinces.

Authorities said the suspects operated a network of IPTV services known locally as “pezzotto”, a term commonly used in Italy to describe illegal streaming systems that provide unauthorised access to subscription television channels.

The four suspects are facing allegations including copyright infringement, intellectual property offences and self-laundering. Investigators have seized assets worth approximately €650,000, representing the estimated proceeds generated by the operation.

The investigation reportedly identified payments referencing “Ibo Player Pro”, an IPTV player application that can be installed on smart TVs, smartphones and computers and is commonly used to access streaming services.

Italian authorities said the operation reflected the increasingly organised structure of piracy networks, which typically involve “head providers” operating source servers, intermediaries acting as resellers and end users purchasing subscriptions.

According to investigators, subscription packages were sold for between €10 and €40 depending on the content offered, with customer support also provided to subscribers experiencing technical difficulties.

Andrea Duilio, Sky Italia CEO said: “I would like to thank the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Crotone and the Crotone Financial Police for this latest Anti-Piracy operation, which confirms the law enforcement agencies’ ongoing commitment to protecting those who choose to act lawfully and the ability to identify pirate users. This is an important step in combating the sense of impunity that still surrounds this phenomenon and in reminding users of these services that they are exposing themselves not only to fines and penalties, but also to scams, theft of personal data and cyber threats.”

The Guardia di Finanza said identified users of the service will now face administrative penalties. Under Italian anti-piracy legislation, fines can range from €154 to €5,000, with higher penalties available for repeat offenders.

The latest action forms part of Italy’s wider crackdown on IPTV piracy, which has intensified since the introduction of new anti-piracy measures and enforcement powers designed to protect sports broadcasters and premium content providers.

Italy has become one of Europe’s most active markets in pursuing both suppliers and users of illegal IPTV services, with rights holders, broadcasters and law enforcement agencies increasingly coordinating anti-piracy operations.

Pig secured 21 of the 35 votes cast by the Foundation Council during a marathon meeting that lasted around 15 hours, making it the longest session in the body’s history. A simple majority was required for appointment.

The selection process followed hearings involving nine shortlisted candidates. Former HBO executive Johannes Larcher received six votes, former ProSiebenSat.1 Puls 4 chief executive Markus Breitenecker secured four, ORF magazine editor-in-chief Lisa Totzauer received three, and ORF III co-managing director Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz obtained one vote.

According to Foundation Council Chairman Heinz Lederer, the result represented a clear endorsement of Pig’s strategic vision for the broadcaster. Vice Chairman Gregor Schütze said the lengthy process reflected the council’s commitment to a professional and transparent selection procedure that complied with the requirements of the European Media Freedom Act.

In his first statement following the vote, Pig said he would begin working immediately with interim ORF chief executive Ingrid Thurnher, who will lead the broadcaster until the end of 2026. He described ORF’s main challenges as maintaining public trust and legitimacy, addressing a funding crisis, and accelerating its platform and digital transformation.

Pig said he aims to transform ORF from a traditional broadcaster into a “platform for society”, with a stronger focus on regional programming, streaming services and content aimed at younger audiences. He added that his goal was to create an ORF that future generations would experience primarily as a digital public-service platform.

Born in Innsbruck in 1974, Pig founded media monitoring company MediaWatch while studying political science. The company was later acquired by APA, where he joined the management board in 2008 and became chief executive in 2016. APA is owned by ORF and a consortium of Austrian newspaper publishers.

Pig will take over at a challenging time for the broadcaster. The Austrian government recently confirmed the removal of an annual compensation payment worth €93 million and has frozen the monthly ORF household levy at €15.30 until 2029. The government is also preparing a broader ORF reform package expected to be discussed later this year.

Under the agreement, IMG will produce the live international feed for all 63 matches each season, including English‑language commentary and graphics added remotely from its production hub in London. The partnership is designed to strengthen the global visibility of the competition, which is regarded as one of Europe’s leading domestic cup tournaments.

Alongside live match coverage, IMG will deliver a full suite of shoulder programming and digital content. This includes a dedicated DFB‑Pokal Zone studio show, match highlight programmes, short‑form clips, feature material and promotional trailers throughout the season.

“This new multi‑format approach will provide international audiences with enhanced access to the DFB‑Pokal, combining live action with engaging editorial content. We’re looking forward to working with IMG to further elevate the international coverage of the competition and showcasing the unique passion and drama of the DFB‑Pokal to fans across the globe,” said Kay Dammholz, Director Media Rights at DFB.

Richard Bayliss, VP and Head of Football Content, Studios at IMG, added: “The DFB‑Pokal is one of the most iconic cup competitions in world football, thanks largely to its unique format and a history filled with amazing stories. With big clubs playing away at lower‑tier stadiums packed with passionate supporters, the jeopardy and authenticity of the competition is incredible, and the opportunity to showcase German football culture to a global audience is hugely exciting.”

The agreement expands IMG’s football production portfolio, which includes Major League Soccer, the Roshn Saudi League, the English Football League, The Ligue 1 Show and CBS’s UEFA Champions League programme UCL Today. IMG also works with a range of federations and leagues worldwide, including CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, the NWSL, Football Australia, the Australian Professional Leagues, WSL Football and the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation.

The 2026/27 DFB‑Pokal competition will kick off on 21 August 2026.

In a joint statement published on 9 June 2026, the signatories argued that the European Commission’s proposal risks undermining the existing Open Internet Regulation by integrating its provisions into the broader DNA framework while removing much of the legal guidance that has shaped the application of EU net neutrality rules. According to the coalition, this could weaken legal certainty and open the door to future reinterpretations of net neutrality principles.

The organisations also expressed concerns about proposed provisions covering IP interconnection. They argued that the European market for internet interconnection is already functioning effectively and competitively, citing studies by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) that found no evidence of market failure.

The statement specifically targets Articles 191 to 193 of the draft legislation, which would introduce an “ecosystem cooperation” and “voluntary conciliation” framework for IP interconnection disputes. The coalition said these measures are unnecessary and could formalise private commercial negotiations under a regulatory framework, potentially paving the way for the introduction of network fees.

According to the signatories, the proposed rules could have negative consequences for content delivery networks, the European creative and cultural sectors, consumer choice and the functioning of the Digital Single Market. They warned that further regulatory escalation could follow through future reviews of the framework.

The coalition is calling on the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to remove Articles 191 to 193 from the proposal and to keep the Open Internet Regulation as a separate legal instrument. It said the final legislation should promote innovation, competition and consumer protection while preserving an open internet.

The statement was signed by 37 organisations, including the ACT – Association of Commercial Television in Europe, BEUC, EDRi, Internet Society, Motion Picture Association, Videogames Europe, European Video-on-Demand Coalition, BDZV, MVFP, BREKO and VAUNET, alongside several individual experts from the telecommunications and internet sectors.

The full statement can be downloaded from VAUNET’s website.

SES has highlighted its role and that of satellite in the distribution of the FIFA World Cup 2026, supporting broadcasters, airlines and football organisations with live coverage and related services across multiple continents.

The satellite operator said it is working with broadcasters and partners around the world to deliver live match coverage and supplementary programming from North America to audiences globally, combining satellite, fibre and IP delivery technologies.

In Germany, SES is supporting the German Football Federation’s DFB.TV service on the HD+ platform, providing fans with behind-the-scenes content, live updates from the national team’s base camp and additional tournament coverage alongside the matches themselves.

Viewers in Germany and Austria are also receiving extensive World Cup coverage via SES’s flagship 19.2 degrees East orbital position, where broadcasters including ARD, ZDF and ORF are carrying tournament coverage.

Across the Americas, SES is distributing live feeds from the International Broadcast Centre to rights holders throughout the region. The company said its hybrid distribution infrastructure, combining satellite, fibre and IP networks, is designed to provide the resilience and reliability required for large-scale live sporting events.

The company is also extending tournament coverage into the aviation sector through its inflight connectivity business. Following a recent agreement with Viva Airlines, SES is providing multi-orbit connectivity services that allow passengers to stream content and access online services while in flight.

As part of the initiative, complimentary Wi-Fi access will be offered on selected Viva Airlines flights operating on days when the Mexican national team is playing, enabling passengers to follow tournament coverage while travelling.

“Distribution of an event at this scale is one of the most complex undertakings in sports broadcasting as it combines multiple technical and operational challenges to ensure a successful transmission,” said Michele Gosetti, Vice President Media Sales Sports & Events at SES.

The company said the project demonstrates the continuing importance of satellite technology in the distribution of premium live sports, particularly when combined with fibre and IP networks to provide additional flexibility and resilience.

According to SES, its satellite infrastructure reaches almost 2.3 billion viewers worldwide and has played a role in the delivery of each of the ten most-watched sporting events in television history.

A report backed by the Broadcast 2040+ campaign has warned that switching off Freeview in the 2030s would be significantly more complex, costly and risky than the UK’s digital television switchover.

The study, written by former ITV executive Christy Swords, argues that comparisons between the analogue switch-off programme completed in 2012 and any future closure of digital terrestrial television (DTT) are misleading.

According to the report, around 10 million UK households currently use Freeview, often alongside streaming services, while Government projections suggest around 5 million homes could still rely on the platform by 2034.

Swords, who served as ITV’s Director of Regulatory Affairs during digital switchover and sat on the board of Digital UK, said the circumstances facing policymakers today are fundamentally different from those that existed during the transition from analogue broadcasting.

“Switching off Freeview as early as 2034 would be an unprecedented gamble with a service that millions of households depend on every day,” he said.

The report claims that ending DTT services would require millions of households to purchase replacement equipment, potentially upgrade broadband connections and replace existing television receivers.

It also argues that viewers without broadband could face additional annual costs exceeding £300 a year, on top of the television licence fee, in order to continue accessing live television services.

The publication comes amid growing debate over the future of terrestrial television as the Government undertakes its review of the BBC Charter and the long-term future of UK broadcasting infrastructure.

Supporters of maintaining DTT point to its universal reach, resilience during emergencies and ability to deliver live television without reliance on broadband networks.

The report was published through the Broadcast 2040+ campaign, which is backed by a number of broadcast industry organisations, including transmission infrastructure operator Arqiva. The campaign has called on the Government to extend the future of Freeview services beyond 2034 and into the 2040s.

The intervention follows evidence submitted to Parliament’s BBC Charter Review inquiry by both Arqiva and the Future of TV Distribution Taskforce. While both submissions support a hybrid future combining broadcast and broadband delivery, Arqiva has argued that terrestrial broadcasting should continue to play a central role in UK television distribution for decades to come.

The Government has yet to make any decisions on the future of DTT beyond the current licence period.