The linear channel begins broadcasting at 15:30 CEST with an opening programme featuring DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and DFB General Secretary and Chairman of the Management Board of DFB Holger Blask. DFB.TV will then operate as a linear 24/7 service, offering live matches, documentaries, news programming and archive content focused on German football.

The launch weekend centres on the men’s DFB-Pokal final between FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart in Berlin. On Friday, the channel will provide live coverage from the Olympiastadion, including the final pre-match press conference featuring coaches Vincent Kompany and Sebastian Hoeneß, as well as coverage of the teams’ final training sessions. The day will also see the debut of news programme DFB kompakt and conclude with live coverage of the DFB-Pokal final celebration party from the Hyatt Hotel in Berlin.

Saturday’s schedule will focus on amateur football, with four matches from the nationwide Finaltag der Amateure competition broadcast live. Coverage will then switch to the German Cup final, accompanied by a second-screen watch party hosted by Robby Hunke and Niklas Wilson Sommer.

Women’s football takes centre stage on Sunday, when DFB.TV premieres Der Weg ist das Team, a new documentary series following the German women’s national team. The first two episodes will air from 19:30 CEST, following live coverage of an international match between Germany’s U15 women and the United States.

Beyond the opening weekend, DFB.TV’s programming line-up includes archive matches such as Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final victory over Brazil, daily shows focused on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, live press conferences from the men’s national team, youth international fixtures and the DFB Girls’ Cup final.

The channel is available through platforms including DAZN, HD+, Sky/WOW, Ocilion, Vodafone Deutschland and Zattoo. A dedicated mobile application, DFB.TV+, is also available via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The service is priced at €5.99 per month or €59.99 annually. The channel’s first day of programming will also be streamed free of charge on YouTube.

“We are very much looking forward to the launch of the channel,” said Kay Dammholz, Director of Media Rights at DFB and Managing Director of DFB.TV. “With DFB.TV, we are creating a platform through which we want to showcase German football in all its facets. We hope to create a diverse offering that is both informative and entertaining and appeals to a wide range of football fans.”

“Our special thanks go to the platforms, the DFB partners, our marketing partner Publicis Media and our joint venture partner Sportainment, all of whom shared our vision from the outset and whose trust and commitment have made this project possible,” Dammholz added.

Further information about DFB.TV, including programming details and subscription information, is available on the DFB.TV website.

Behind every headline-making series, platform launch, or ratings success, there’s a bigger conversation shaping the future of the industry. From audience behaviour and content discovery to collaboration, innovation, and sustainability – some of the most important topics in TV and streaming still don’t get enough attention.

That’s why we asked NEM Dubrovnik 2026 speakers One Burning Question:

Name something about the TV and streaming industry that is often overlooked, but shouldn’t be?

Caroline Hurmson, Senior Director Content Strategy, Acquisition and Sales, Antenna Entertainment: “The simple answer is: the audience. People move between linear TV, streaming platforms, social media, short-form video, and on demand content with ease. They simply choose what feels relevant, accessible, and worth their time.

At Antenna Group, working across content, channels, and international distribution, we see every day that audience behaviour is becoming more complex. Audiences differ by market, platform, mood, and viewing habits, and successful content travels globally when it connects emotionally while also remaining locally relevant.

Many factors come into play when it comes to programming: personal preference, financial pressure, ratings, profitability, and the need to please an audience. All of these affect our ability to find the right content and get viewers engaged, while also making the process commercially viable.

Content decision-makers face the challenge of producing or buying ideas that resonate with them personally, while also needing to appeal to audiences they may never meet. Programming requires professionalism, perspective, and a clear understanding of the financial pressures behind the scenes. Data, research, and analytics are valuable tools, but they should support creativity, not replace it.

The audience is both the viewer and the revenue source. If the audience does not watch, then content cannot generate revenue or justify subscription costs.

Great storytelling remains what matters most in the battle for consumers, regardless of changing platforms and business models. We see this with our own Antenna productions such as Serres and Wild Bees, or our evergreen library title Brousko: strong stories can travel when they connect with audiences on a human level.

Audience feedback should never be ignored. In a world of fast-paced social media, the feedback loop is immediate: social media conversations, ratings, viewer feedback, and engagement all tell us what is working and what is not.

An active engagement with audiences through social media, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive elements, fostering a community around our content.

The goal should be to make audiences feel like active participants rather than passive consumers.

Be open-minded to new content ideas and models, e.g. TikTok videos and YouTube. What counts as content is increasingly decided by audiences, not by the industry alone. The industry needs to move with the times and find ways to connect traditional and digital content in a way that serves viewers and creates value.

Ultimately, engagement is what drives retention, loyalty, and commercial success. The companies that listen closely to their audience will be the ones that break through. In a fragmented media landscape, the audience is not just the end point of the process — it should be the starting point.”

Christian Grece, Senior Analyst, European Audiovisual Observatory “Public broadcasters have an ace up their sleeve. While everyone is talking about Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon, Europe’s public broadcasters, such as the BBC with iPlayer, France Télévisions with France.tv, ARD/ZDF with Mediathek, and RAI with RaiPlay, have decades of beloved, fully owned IP at their disposal.

They don’t need to recoup $200 million film budgets. Their cost-per-viewer economics are fundamentally superior, yet they are largely ignored in the global conversation. Recent collaborations between Disney+ and several Western European public broadcasters recognise that audiences value access to local content.”

Ivan Ljubičić, Managing Director, Mediavision, NEM Dubrovnik, NEM Zagreb, Pickbox: “What’s often overlooked is the power of brand. In a world of endless choice, audiences don’t just pick content, they pick trusted destinations. Even if there may be something more interesting elsewhere, people return to brands they know and watch something there they wouldn’t choose elsewhere.”

Jan Frelek, CCO, Backscreen: “Microdramas are often seen as something micro. In fact, vertical video is the major trend, already securing a large share of the ad pie. It’s a drama not to observe it, adapt to, nor manage, at the cost of losing future audiences”

Maria Rue Aguete, Head of M&E, Technology Fellow, Omdia: “One of the most overlooked aspects of the TV and streaming industry is the continued importance of aggregation and discoverability. While the market often focuses on content spending, subscriber growth, or technology, the real battle increasingly lies in helping consumers navigate an overwhelming amount of choice.

Consumers do not think in terms of platforms; they think in terms of entertainment, convenience, value, and time. The companies that will succeed are not necessarily those with the biggest content budgets, but those that make discovery easier, create seamless user experiences, and build smart partnerships across ecosystems.

Another point that is sometimes underestimated is how global the industry has become. Local content, regional partnerships, and culturally relevant storytelling are now critical drivers of international success. We are seeing audiences embrace stories from everywhere, and that is reshaping the economics and creative dynamics of the industry.

Additionally, the rise of mobile usage and the growing popularity of short-form content, such as microdramas and vertical videos, are reshaping how audiences consume entertainment. Attention spans are shorter, and platforms that cater to these evolving habits are gaining traction across all age groups.”

Natalija Gorščak, President of the Management Board, RTV Slovenia: “I think that promotion inside and outside the industry is overlooked in the TV and streaming industry. With the colorful offer of platforms, it’s extremely difficult to detect which one is the right one. Good promotion helps users to choose; with good promotion we can ‘catch’ users on other platforms and media and bring them (perhaps even back) to our own platforms.”

Peter Wassong, Head of TV Content Europe, Deutsche Telekom: “One overlooked aspect of the streaming industry, especially when partnering with us telcos, is profitability. This may sound trivial, but it’s a widely overlooked issue. While the streaming industry mostly talks in terms of subscriber growth, we telcos live in a world of margins, ARPU, and costs — and these two worlds do not always align. Streamers want telcos to act as subsidised acquisition channels, but telcos need to act as profitable distributors. This creates a structural imbalance.

We deliver scale, lower churn, integrated billing, reduced direct marketing costs, and access to more difficult customer segments to streamers. However, this access only works sustainably when it is reflected in the commercial framework. A streaming partnership that grows subscriber numbers but destroys our margin is not a partnership; it’s outsourced customer acquisition for the streamer.”

Sandra Lehner, Entertainment Executive, TV Futurist: “We still underestimate how much habit drives viewing. It’s not just about what people want to watch – it’s about what fits into their daily routines, which is why formats, release strategies, and even length matter more than we admit.

I don’t think it’s true that Gen Z doesn’t watch long-form content – they absolutely do, but it depends on context, mood, and where they are in their day. Viewers move between short-form and long-form throughout the day. That’s why platforms like Netflix are experimenting with more mobile-first, discovery-led ways of bringing people back across different moments.

And in a subscription world, the real challenge is churn – so the goal is to turn viewing into habit, either a daily ritual or a weekly appointment, like we see with shows such as The White Lotus, where weekly release builds anticipation and conversation. Because habit is what turns attention into retention.”

Explore the full agenda for NEM Dubrovnik 2026 here.

BBC World Service is returning to Hungarian and Romanian-language journalism with the launch of two new digital news offers aimed at audiences across Central and Eastern Europe.

BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania will launch in June as pilot services, providing websites and social channels serving audiences in Hungary, Romania, Moldova and neighbouring markets with independent and impartial journalism.

BBC News Magyarul will launch on June 16 at bbc.com/magyarul alongside Facebook and Instagram channels, while BBC News Romania follows on June 23 at bbc.com/romania. YouTube and TikTok channels will launch later.

The services will focus on global and regional developments, covering international affairs, Europe, health, science, technology, climate and cost-of-living issues, delivered in social-first formats designed to reach younger audiences.

The two services will use AI-assisted translation technology with human editorial oversight and labelling where AI tools are used. Alongside translated content, the editorial teams will produce original reporting and analysis.

The move marks a further expansion of BBC World Service after the launch of BBC News Polska in 2025. The Polish-language service reached an average weekly audience of 537,000 in its first year, rising to 808,000 in the latest quarter, with women accounting for almost 60% of its audience.

Fiona Crack, interim global director of BBC News, said: “In an age of shrinking press freedom, rising disinformation, and global uncertainty, delivering independent and impartial news has never been more important. Launching BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania is a milestone built on innovation, like AI-assisted translation tools used responsibly, in order to reach new audiences with trusted news.”

Kateryna Khinkulova, editorial lead for both services, said the launch would help extend the BBC’s reach in the region, particularly among women and younger audiences.

The launch expands BBC World Service to 45 languages including English.

The BBC previously operated Hungarian-language radio and online services between 1939 and 2005, while the Romanian service ran from 1939 until 2008.

The relaunch comes as public broadcasters increase investment in Central and Eastern Europe amid concerns over disinformation, declining media plurality and political pressure on local media outlets. The BBC has been steadily rebuilding language services in the region, with BBC News Polska becoming its first new language launch in Europe for several years.

The expansion also reflects a broader BBC strategy of using AI-assisted translation to extend the reach of World Service journalism. The corporation has increasingly experimented with translated content workflows, including YouTube auto-dubbing and AI-supported localisation, while maintaining editorial oversight.

French regulator Arcom has published new guidance and model agreements designed to strengthen cooperation between sports rights holders and technical intermediaries in the fight against online piracy.

The documents are aimed at improving exchanges with search engines, alternative DNS services and VPN providers, as France continues efforts to make blocking and delisting measures faster and more effective.

Arcom said the direct loss linked to illegal sports broadcasts in France was estimated at €290 million in 2024, excluding lost tax and social security revenue.

The regulator said professional clubs are most directly affected, but the wider sports ecosystem also suffers, including amateur clubs that benefit from France’s “Buffet tax” on sports rights revenues.

In 2025, Arcom said 1,845 services were delisted from search engines out of a total of 6,496 blocked services.

It added that 81% of blocking requests sent to internet service providers were also sent to alternative DNS services, representing 5,263 notified requests.

Following the first French court rulings involving VPN providers in May 2025, Arcom has demanded the blocking of 598 domain names from those providers.

The new notice and model agreements are intended to support simultaneous and rapid anti-piracy action by rights holders and intermediaries.

Arcom has also developed a centralised system listing domain names subject to blocking or delisting demands linked to court rulings on sports content.

The regulator is inviting technical intermediaries to connect to the system, with an interface contract available to support implementation.

Italian authorities have dismantled a major streaming piracy operation centred on an application known as CINEMAGOAL, in a case that investigators say resulted in an estimated €300 million in losses to broadcasters and streaming platforms including Sky, DAZN, Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify.

The investigation, led by Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and prosecutors in Bologna, targeted what police described as a previously unseen piracy system. Unlike traditional IPTV operations based around illegal set-top boxes, the system used an app linked to foreign servers that illegally decrypted content streams.

Investigators said virtual machines operating continuously in Italy captured access credentials from legitimate subscriptions registered to fictitious users and retransmitted them every three minutes. The system reportedly avoided direct IP association, making detection harder for rights holders and platforms. Pirated subscriptions were sold for between €40 and €130 per year.

The operation extended beyond Italy. Working with Eurojust, authorities seized foreign servers holding decryption data and source code, while coordinated actions were carried out in France and Germany.

Italian authorities also uncovered use of traditional illegal streaming devices known locally as “pezzotto”. Around 1,000 identified users now face fines ranging from €154 to €5,000.

Andrea Duilio, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia, said: “I would like to thank the Ravenna Financial Police and the Bologna Public Prosecutor’s Office for this significant anti-piracy operation, which demonstrates their growing effectiveness in combating even the most sophisticated technologies. Those who choose to stream content illegally not only line the pockets of criminal organisations with millions in profits, but also risk penalties and expose their personal data to theft and fraud.”

The case continues Italy’s increasingly aggressive anti-piracy campaign, particularly around sports rights. Earlier operations such as “Taken Down” and “Switch Off” shut down major IPTV services including IPTVItalia, migliorIPTV and DarkTV, with investigators claiming millions of users globally were affected. Those actions targeted illegal distribution of content from Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount.

Italy has also introduced Piracy Shield, requiring rapid blocking of suspected piracy sources, although the system has faced criticism after accidental blocking incidents affecting legitimate services.

The latest action comes as regulators across Europe intensify anti-piracy efforts. On Thursday, France’s Arcom announced new measures aimed at improving cooperation between rights holders, search engines, DNS providers and VPN operators in tackling sports piracy.

The contract was awarded by production company thinXpool TV, which holds overall editorial and production responsibility for the tournament coverage on behalf of Deutsche Telekom and its TV platform MagentaTV.

The project will see DMC Production Germany deliver the studio and production infrastructure for MagentaTV’s coverage of the expanded tournament, which comprises 104 matches. The TV platform will carry all matches, including 44 exclusive games, supported by more than 1,000 hours of programming across three dedicated World Cup channels.

The service will include UHD distribution with Dolby Atmos audio, accessibility features such as audio description and, for the first time, a fully HDR-based production workflow throughout the entire broadcast chain.

Coverage will be centred on two studio facilities, one in New York City and one in Munich. The New York studio, located in the city’s Financial District, will serve as the main presentation hub, while the Munich facility will act as MagentaTV’s home studio and remote production control centre.

DMC Production Germany will be responsible for the complete internal production infrastructure at both sites, including studio technology, LED wall integration, analysis graphics, IP-based signal management, playout services, ingest and recording systems, and gallery production for all three World Cup channels.

MagentaTV’s on-air team will include presenters Johannes B. Kerner and Laura Wontorra, supported by pundits Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels, Wolff Fuss and Tabea Kemme. Additional programming, including the WM Breakfast Club, will be fronted by Sascha Bandermann and Laura Hoffmann.

The coverage package will include exclusive matches from every stage of the competition, alongside daily highlights programmes, analysis shows and original content formats designed to accommodate North American kick-off times.

“This ensures that MagentaTV can deliver a premium live viewing experience throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Jens Friedrichs, Managing Director of DMC Production Germany. He added that the company would oversee the planning, integration and operation of the entire studio production infrastructure, from signal routing and IP workflows to UHD and Dolby Atmos distribution.

Holger Enßlin, Managing Director of DMC Production Germany, added: “Together with MagentaTV and thinXpool, we are implementing international production architecture designed for maximum flexibility and efficiency. Our ambition is not only to provide the technical foundation, but also to actively contribute to setting new standards in sports broadcasting and enabling innovative production formats.”

DMC Production Germany was formed in 2025 through the merger of Plazamedia and rt1.tv mobile production. The company is part of the Sweden-based DMC Production Group, which provides broadcast and remote production services to broadcasters, sports organisations and media rights holders across Europe.

Amagi Media Labs reported revenue growth of 29.5% for FY26 as the cloud-native media technology company moved into profit.

Revenue for the year ended March 31, 2026 rose to ₹1,506 crore (€161 million), driven by customer expansion and increased adoption of cloud-based streaming and broadcast workflows.

Adjusted EBITDA increased more than 6-fold to ₹156 crore, while profit after tax improved to ₹72 crore, compared with a loss of ₹69 crore in FY25.

Net revenue retention stood at 125.9%, while the number of customers generating more than $1 million in annual revenue increased from 28 to 35.

In Q4 FY26, revenue grew 28.5% year-on-year to ₹397 crore, adjusted EBITDA reached ₹40 crore, and profit after tax was ₹34 crore.

Amagi said it ended the year with cash, investments and bank balances of ₹1,664 crore, supporting investment in platform innovation, AI capabilities and selective acquisitions.

Baskar Subramanian, managing director and CEO, said FY26 was “a defining year” for Amagi, marking its first full year as a public company and a wider industry shift towards cloud-native media and AI-driven operations.

He said early momentum around NEWSPULSE and other AI initiatives supported Amagi’s view that AI-driven operational layers would become foundational to modern media.

Apple TV will use iPhone 17 Pro to capture an entire live Major League Soccer match for the first time.

The LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo FC fixture will stream live on Apple TV on Saturday, May 23 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Apple said the production marks the first time iPhone has been used to capture the entirety of a major professional live sporting event broadcast.

The iPhone 17 Pro cameras will be used throughout the match, including team warmups, player introductions, in-net goal angles and stadium atmosphere shots.

Apple first used iPhone in a live sports workflow during a Friday Night Baseball game in September 2025, capturing selected moments and in-stadium footage. It later expanded the use of iPhone across MLS Cup 2025 and regular Apple sports productions.

The iPhone 17 Pro features 3 48MP Fusion cameras and supports pro video features including Apple Log 2, which will be used in the MLS broadcast.

Apple said the smaller form factor of iPhone allows cameras to be positioned throughout the venue to deliver new angles and bring viewers closer to the action.

MPs have endorsed Sir Ian Cheshire as the government’s preferred candidate to become the new chair of Ofcom.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee approved the appointment following a pre-appointment hearing on May 20.

During the session, MPs questioned Sir Ian on his experience, motivation for the role, priorities for Ofcom and the challenges facing the regulator.

Committee chair Dame Chi Onwurah said Ofcom needed “strong, capable and proactive leadership” as it handles complex issues including online safety.

She said the committee was satisfied Sir Ian had the skills and experience required, but urged him to prioritise improving his knowledge of the UK online safety landscape.

The committee said this would be important in representing Ofcom in discussions with global technology companies and enforcing the Online Safety Act.

Sir Ian told MPs he would identify metrics to evaluate his own performance by the end of his first year in office. The committee said it hoped to receive these within 6 months.

Sports is now the fastest-growing category across major global SVOD catalogues, according to new analysis from Gracenote.

The Nielsen-owned content intelligence business said sports now accounts for 5% of programming on the leading global subscription streaming services it tracks.

HBO Max, newly added to the Gracenote Data Hub, has the largest sports catalogue among major streamers, accounting for 35% of available sports programming and 42% at the individual game and event level.

Gracenote’s analysis now tracks HBO Max alongside Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+.

In November 2024, sports represented just 1.4% of the catalogues of Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+. By Q2 2026, those 5 services had more than doubled their sports share to 3.3%. Including HBO Max lifts the total to 5%.

There are now almost 38,500 sports shows, episodes, games and events across the leading SVOD services.

After HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video holds 25% of sports content, followed by Netflix on 16% and Disney+ on 14%.

At game and event level, Paramount+ now accounts for 30%, behind HBO Max on 42%.

Gracenote said the proposed Paramount Skydance acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery would make the combined company a significant global force in streaming sports.

The Q2 update also found FAST channels increased 19% year-on-year, with entertainment, sports, news and reality the most common genres. News channels showed the strongest annual growth, up 57%.

FAST is also becoming a growing outlet for live sport, with live events accounting for 37% of content on FAST sports channels.