The move, which took effect on 30 October 2026 without prior public announcement, comes as the broadcaster faces mounting financial difficulties.

Vodafone confirmed the removal in a post on its customer forum, stating that Sport1 would no longer be available via its cable network from 30 October. The channel’s former SD and HD slots now display a notice informing viewers that the service is no longer available. Sport1 content has also been removed from Vodafone’s media libraries.

The decision has prompted complaints from viewers, particularly fans of darts and snooker, two sports for which Sport1 has built a loyal audience through its live coverage. Vodafone declined to comment on the reasons behind the move.

Sport1, meanwhile, said it was working with Vodafone to resolve the situation and expected the channel to return to the platform soon. “We are currently working intensively with Vodafone on a solution and assume that Sport1 will be available again via Vodafone very soon,” a spokesperson told German industry publication DWDL.

The broadcaster stressed that its programming remained available through other cable operators, satellite, DTT, IPTV platforms and its free livestream on Sport1.de and the Sport1 app.

The removal comes at a particularly difficult time for Sport1 and its Swiss parent company Highlight Communications. According to DWDL, Sport1 has reportedly fallen behind on payments for distribution through Vodafone. The broadcaster declined to comment on contractual details or reports of outstanding payments.

Highlight Communications is facing substantial financial obligations, including overdue licensing costs originating from its Sport1 subsidiary. Its 2025 annual report disclosed €57.5 million in outstanding licensing liabilities, which the group identified as a significant uncertainty for the continuation of its business activities. The company also faces substantial debt repayments.

The financial difficulties have raised questions about the future of the broadcaster, despite the arrival of Turkish media company Acunmedya as a shareholder in 2024. Acunmedya acquired a 50% stake in Sport1 for €30 million, triggering an ambitious expansion into entertainment and sports reality programming.

However, the strategy failed to deliver the expected audience and advertising success, and several formats have since been discontinued. The company is now scaling back its entertainment ambitions. According to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Sport1 employees were informed this week about planned redundancies, although the number of positions affected has not been disclosed. The broadcaster employs just over 100 people.

At the same time, the shareholders are seeking to sell the digital business Sport1.de, one of Germany’s largest sports websites. Negotiations are ongoing, according to the company.

Losing distribution through Vodafone represents a significant additional setback for Sport1. With the platform reaching around 40% of German households, the broadcaster risks a substantial reduction in its potential television audience, with knock-on effects for advertising revenues.

The development also puts pressure on a channel whose traditional sports coverage remains one of its strongest assets. Live darts and selected football programming continue to attract a dedicated audience, but viewers relying on Vodafone cable must now switch to alternative reception methods or the broadcaster’s digital services.

Whether Sport1 can quickly restore distribution through Vodafone remains unclear. For now, the dispute adds another challenge to the broadcaster’s efforts to stabilise its business.

Doğan Holding has agreed to sell its Romanian broadcasting business to Clever Media in a transaction valued at €109 million, subject to adjustments.

The agreement covers all shares in Doğan Media International, whose portfolio includes general entertainment channels Kanal D and Kanal D2, Radio Impuls and its digital operations.

In a disclosure to Turkey’s public reporting platform KAP, Doğan said the share-transfer agreement was signed on October 26 with Romanian Content Project and Clever Media Network. The consideration will be paid through deferred payments. Source: Doğan’s regulatory filing.

The acquisition is being made through Romanian Content Project, owned by Clever Media Network and EAD.RO Interactive. The sellers are Doğan Media Invest BV and DHI Investment. Source: Kanal D announcement.

The deal would expand Clever’s Romanian television presence, which already includes Prima TV, Prima News and the Prima Sport channels. Source: Mediafax.

Doğan described the disposal as part of its strategy to optimise its portfolio and simplify the group’s activities. Its Romanian business has operated in the market for almost two decades.

Completion remains subject to competition approval, other legal processes and contractual closing conditions. Until then, Doğan Media International will retain its existing structure, with its brands, teams and operations continuing without interruption. No completion date has been announced. Sources: Doğan filing, Kanal D.

Viaplay Group has completed the sale of its Dutch streaming and broadcasting operations to DPG Media-owned Videoland for €142 million, bringing its withdrawal from the Netherlands to a close.

The transaction, first announced in July, has received the necessary regulatory and lender approvals, with all remaining closing conditions fulfilled.

Videoland is acquiring Viaplay’s Dutch sports portfolio, including Formula 1, Premier League football and PDC darts.

The Dutch business generated net sales of €149 million in 2025. Viaplay expects to receive approximately €100 million in net cash proceeds after transaction and restructuring costs, together with future payments relating to legacy multi-year agreements.

The proceeds will be used to reduce the group’s net debt, with Viaplay also considering refinancing its outstanding borrowing facilities to lower borrowing costs.

Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, President and CEO of Viaplay Group, said: “Now that the transaction is complete, our resources are fully focused on our operations in our core Nordic markets, where we have the greatest scale and synergy potential.”

The disposal forms part of Viaplay’s wider restructuring, which has included taking full ownership of Nordic satellite and broadband operator Allente.

The financial impact of the transaction, including non-cash balance sheet adjustments, will be reported as items affecting comparability in Viaplay’s fourth-quarter results.

Viaplay said the sale would not affect its financial targets for the full year 2026.

DPG Media previously said approximately 50 Viaplay employees would transfer to the new owner.

TF1’s advertising revenues fell by almost €100 million in the first nine months of 2026, despite continued growth at its streaming service TF1+.

Group advertising revenue dropped 8.9% to €1.022 billion, while consolidated revenue declined 9% to €1.454 billion. Third-quarter revenue was down 7% at €461 million, with advertising sales falling 9.3% to €308 million.

The results underline the pressure on TF1’s traditional advertising business as it accelerates its shift towards streaming. TF1 said third-quarter advertising growth at TF1+ reached 20.5%, supported by its distribution partnership with Netflix. The group’s nine-month revenue decline was 6.6% on a like-for-like basis at constant exchange rates.

Over the nine months, TF1+ advertising revenue increased 19.2% to approximately €160 million. Broader digital revenue, which also includes subscriptions and other digital activities, rose 16.5% to €198 million.

TF1+ attracted an average of 42 million monthly streamers during the period. Viewing consumption measured on a site-centric basis increased 13% year-on-year, accelerating to 25% in the third quarter as the Netflix partnership contributed to growth.

The agreement gives TF1 an additional route to audiences through Netflix, supporting its efforts to increase the reach and commercial value of its programming. However, the contrasting revenue figures show that streaming growth is still insufficient to compensate for the wider advertising decline.

TF1 reported a nine-month operating margin from activities of 7.6%, which it said remained consistent with its roadmap for 2026.

Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy says Prime Video is profitable and generating revenue at an annualised rate of tens of billions of dollars, highlighting the growing scale of its entertainment business.

Speaking during Amazon’s third-quarter earnings call on October 29, Jassy described Prime Video as a significant business with “a revenue run rate in the tens of billions of dollars”, adding that it was “now profitable in its own right”.

The statement provides a new indication of the service’s financial scale, although a revenue run rate is an annualised measure rather than reported full-year sales. Jassy did not provide an exact revenue figure or profit margin in his remarks.

Profitability had previously been highlighted in an Amazon account of a shareholder Q&A. Jassy pointed to original programming, live sports and partnerships with third-party streaming services as drivers of the business’s development.

In this latest call, he cited series including Carrie, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Boys, Off Campus, Reacher and Fallout, alongside the film Project Hail Mary.

Amazon’s results announcement said the fourth season of Reacher attracted 66 million viewers worldwide during its first 28 days. Amazon MGM Studios generated more than $1.2 billion in global box-office receipts so far in 2026, with Project Hail Mary and Verity among its releases.

Live sport also delivered audience growth. Amazon reported Nielsen figures showing Thursday Night Football averaged 17.7 million viewers across its first six games, 16% above the previous season’s full-season average. The opening doubleheader of its second NBA season attracted more than two million viewers in the United States.

Amazon does not present Prime Video as a separate reporting segment in its quarterly results. Its broader subscription-services category includes Prime membership fees alongside video, music, audiobooks and other subscriptions, limiting direct comparisons with standalone streaming businesses.

Arqiva says demand for digital terrestrial television capacity remained strong during the year to 30 June 2026, although pricing pressure on DTT contract renewals weighed on its Media & Broadcast business.

The company has published its annual results that had been anticipated at the end of September.

Revenue in the division was broadly unchanged at £476 million, compared with £477 million a year earlier. Inflation-linked contracts and new radio business offset the impact of lower DTT renewal pricing.

Media & Broadcast segmental EBITDA increased 1% to £341 million, supported by operational efficiencies.

The infrastructure provider secured a record £471 million of contract wins and extensions across television and radio, including major FM renewals extending into the mid-2030s. The announcement does not provide a separate value for television agreements.

Arqiva reported high DTT utilisation and broadcast network availability of 99.995%. Both national DAB multiplexes were fully occupied, with 30 additional DAB sites agreed to extend coverage.

Chief Executive Shuja Khan said: “Record contract wins and extensions in Media & Broadcast, substantial growth in Smart Utilities Networks and continued exceptionally high levels of service provided the operational foundation for revenue growth and robust cash flow generation.”

Arqiva is a founding member and funder of the Broadcast 2040+ campaign, launched in 2022 to protect the long-term availability of terrestrial television and radio, and arguably its broadcast business. Arqiva has proposed a managed DTT switch-off in 2044, arguing that an earlier transition risks excluding households reliant on Freeview and increasing pressure on communications infrastructure.

Across the group, technology investment and organisational changes enabled a 17% reduction in headcount. Arqiva did not specify how much of the reduction affected its broadcasting operations.

Group revenue rose 8% to £726 million, primarily driven by smart utilities. Underlying EBITDA was £274 million, or £310 million excluding a non-cash provision relating to a water contract, compared with £312 million in the previous year.

The group reported a £1.845 billion loss after tax, principally reflecting non-cash exceptional items and accrued interest on shareholder loan notes. Reported operating cash flow increased to £288 million.

Arqiva ended the year with a £2.9 billion contracted order book across the business.

“Looking forward, we have started the new financial year with real momentum: a £2.9 billion order book, strong customer relationships and a more efficient business,” said Khan.

Microsoft will discontinue Copilot on Samsung and LG televisions on 1 December 2026, ending access to its AI assistant through the two manufacturers’ TV platforms.

The company confirmed the decision in an update to its support documentation. Copilot will remain available on web, desktop and mobile platforms.

“Copilot is being retired from TVs and will no longer be available on Samsung and LG TVs on December 1, 2026,” the Microsoft support notice states.

LG has also begun notifying affected customers through an on-screen service termination message. According to PCMag, the notification attributes the withdrawal to Microsoft’s decision to end support for Copilot functionality on televisions.

The move follows controversy surrounding Copilot’s introduction on LG sets in December 2025. Users complained that the shortcut had been automatically added to their home screens and initially could not be deleted. LG subsequently provided a way to remove it.

The LG implementation opened Microsoft’s assistant through the television’s web browser, rather than providing a native TV application.

Samsung also introduced Copilot on selected televisions and smart monitors in 2025, including its Micro RGB, Neo QLED and OLED ranges, The Frame and The Frame Pro, and M7, M8 and M9 monitors.

Microsoft has not given a reason for the withdrawal. Although the decision follows customer complaints about the LG rollout, the company has not attributed the retirement to that response or disclosed usage figures.

The announcement concerns Microsoft Copilot specifically and does not announce the withdrawal of Samsung’s or LG’s other AI television features.

The Digital TV Group has published D-Book 12.12, updating the UK digital television receiver specification with revised guidance on controls, wireless audio and accessibility as the use of IP delivery takes hold.

The edition incorporates recommendations from an Ofcom-commissioned usability study led by the DTG, which identified difficulties experienced by older viewers using internet-delivered television.

A detailed review of receiver controls provides updated information intended to reduce confusion and accidental inputs.

D-Book 12.12 also introduces guidance on wireless audio support, covering Bluetooth Low Energy devices with or without Auracast, alongside other wideband transmission systems such as Roger. Requirements governing audio description behaviour have been clarified.

Further changes align the D-Book with HbbTV specification version 1.8.1 and set out how receivers should revert to broadcast time when internet time is unavailable.

The DTG says the proposed transition towards IP-delivered television presents a different engineering challenge from digital switchover, because services depend on multiple independently operated networks, platforms and devices.

“Broadband availability alone does not establish readiness. Capacity, coverage in the home, device compatibility, accessibility and software support all matter, alongside the performance of the service itself,” the organisation said.

It argues that agreed interfaces, clear responsibilities and coordinated testing will be needed to identify faults across the delivery chain and establish who can resolve them.

The DTG is working with members, government, Ofcom and the wider industry on a technical roadmap for the transition. Although rooted in digital terrestrial television, the D-Book continues to evolve as broadcast and IP services operate alongside one another.

The updated specification is supported by DTG Test Suites and independent testing through DTG Testing. D-Book 12.12 is available to DTG members.

UK viewers are spending more on video entertainment, but almost half are frustrated by searching across multiple apps, according to TiVo’s latest UK Video Trends Report.

Respondents reported average monthly video spending of £82.38, up 11% from £73.99 in 2025. Daily viewing also increased, reaching 4.62 hours compared with 4.5 hours a year earlier.

However, 48.5% said browsing multiple apps to find something to watch annoyed them. More than three-quarters, 77.2%, use multiple apps during a typical viewing session, up from 64.2% in 2025.

The findings highlight the growing challenge of content discovery as households add more viewing sources. Respondents in England use an average of 8.64 video sources, compared with 7.67 in 2025 and 6.48 in 2024. Northern Ireland recorded the highest UK average at 9.64.

“People are investing more of their precious time and money in content, but they’re being forced to navigate an incredibly complex menu of apps, platforms and services just to find something to watch,” said Stéphane David, Head of Content Partnerships & Business Development, EMEA at TiVo.

“There’s a clear opportunity for the industry to give back to the viewer by simplifying the experience, bringing content together, making discovery more intuitive and helping viewers spend less time searching and more time enjoying more of the content they love.”

Broadcaster viewing is also shifting towards apps. The research found that more than 57% of time spent watching broadcaster television was through an app, up from 52% in 2025, with over-the-air viewing accounting for 43%.

Ad-supported services continue to gain ground. Among SVOD viewers, 57.2% use advertising-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, 57.6% of all respondents use free AVOD or FAST services, compared with 52.5% a year earlier. Those users regularly watch an average of 7.1 channels.

Despite the expanding choice, familiar programming remains important: more than four in ten viewing hours are spent rewatching programmes and films.

Smart TV ownership reached 79.9% among respondents, while 17.2% expected to buy a new set before the end of 2026.

However, the German media company has lowered its full-year organic revenue forecast, citing weak economic conditions and subdued demand in the TV advertising market.

Group revenues fell by 11% year on year to €2.244 billion in the nine months to September. Adjusted for currency effects and portfolio changes, the decline was 3% to €2.244 billion, reflecting a challenging advertising market and the disposal of several businesses. Online beauty retailer Flaconi continued to grow dynamically.

The improvement in profitability reflected lower programming expenses, savings from last year’s restructuring programme and ongoing cost management. Programming expenses fell by €126 million to €588 million, partly due to a change in the amortisation policy announced in the first half of the year. The group also cited a more efficient approach to using and monetising content across platforms.

EBIT, which measures operating earnings before interest and tax, returned to positive territory, rising by €175 million to €67 million. Lower depreciation and amortisation, partly resulting from company disposals, also contributed to the improvement.

“We have significantly increased our profitability, kept our leverage ratio within the target range, and are on track to achieve our EBITDA growth outlook for 2026,” said Bob Rajan, interim Group Chief Financial Officer of ProSiebenSat.1.

“This proves our cost measures are working. At the same time, the market environment remains challenging and is weighing on our revenue development,” he added, pointing to a continued focus on cost control and disciplined cash management.

ProSiebenSat.1 now expects a slight decline in organic group revenues for the full year 2026, compared with its previous forecast of slight growth. The company attributed the revision to the difficult economic environment, weaker-than-anticipated private consumption and continued pressure on the TV advertising market.

The group maintained its other full-year financial targets, including its expectation of a significant year-on-year increase in EBITDA from €241 million in 2025. It also continues to forecast a moderate decline in total Group revenues from €3.675 billion in 2025, assuming no further portfolio changes.

Net financial debt is expected to remain stable at the end of 2026, compared with €1.343 billion at the end of 2025. ProSiebenSat.1 is also maintaining its target leverage ratio of 3.0 to 3.5 times, against 3.3 times at the end of last year.

According to the company, its leaner cost base and disciplined cash management should help offset the weaker organic revenue performance and support further profitable growth.