Apple is expanding Apple TV into 59 additional countries, taking the streaming service’s international footprint to 170 markets.

The expansion forms part of a wider restructuring of Apple’s subscription services in more than 100 countries and territories, where Apple TV and Apple Arcade are being added to paid iCloud+ subscriptions at no additional charge.

“We’re excited to bring Apple TV and Apple Arcade to iCloud+ users in over 100 countries in one convenient subscription,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services and Health.

The new arrangement is being introduced progressively through the end of September. Apple has confirmed participating markets include India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, with the scheme also covering a range of countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.

In some of those territories, the change represents the first availability of Apple TV. Kenya, for example, is among the new Apple TV markets and will include the streaming service with iCloud+ subscriptions from this month.

Customers in participating markets receive Apple TV and Apple Arcade with any paid iCloud+ tier, including the entry-level 50GB storage plan. Family Sharing can extend access to up to five family members.

The offer does not extend to established Apple TV markets including the UK and United States, where Apple TV continues to be sold separately and through existing Apple One bundles.

Apple is also changing the way its services are sold in some participating territories. In Mozambique, for example, Apple TV and Apple Arcade will no longer be available as standalone subscriptions directly from Apple. Existing standalone subscriptions will be cancelled as customers receive the services through iCloud+, while Apple One will no longer be offered to new subscribers.

The strategy gives Apple TV a substantially larger global footprint while using the widely adopted iCloud storage service as a route to building audiences for its streaming and gaming services in newer and developing markets.

Prime Video has expanded its US news offering with short-form, on-demand clips covering national and local stories.

The new News Clips feature sits alongside the streaming service’s existing free 24-hour news channels and is available to all US Amazon customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime subscription.

Prime Video is creating curated playlists around major stories, combining short clips from multiple news providers. They can be found through Trending Topics and Local News carousels within the dedicated news section of the Prime Video app.

The service already carries free ad-supported news channels including ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, LiveNOW from Fox, CNN Headlines and NBC News NOW. Customers can also add subscription news services through third parties including Peacock Premium Plus, Paramount+, FOX One and CNN All Access.

News Clips are initially available through Prime Video on connected TV and other living-room devices, with mobile and web availability to follow.

“Until now, customers coming to Prime Video for news could watch breaking news live or tune into full-length on-demand programs. But not everyone can catch breaking news the moment it happens,” said Brian Griffin, Head of Global App Experience at Prime Video.

“With News Clips, customers have a quick and easy way to get caught up on the latest stories happening in their neighborhood and around the world.”

The addition gives Prime Video another form of short-form content alongside its traditional streaming and FAST offering, allowing viewers to move between live channels, full programmes and bite-sized news within the same interface.

The launch of Vodafone TV will strengthen VodafoneThree’s fixed-mobile convergence strategy, but the service will need greater differentiation if it is to compete effectively in the UK pay-TV market, according to GlobalData.

Vodafone TV is due to launch in October, filling what the research company describes as a significant gap in the operator’s multiplay portfolio. Unlike the proprietary TV services offered by its major UK telecoms rivals, Vodafone TV will also be available to mobile customers without requiring them to take fixed broadband.

“Vodafone TV is a crucial step that finally plugs a pay-TV-shaped hole in VodafoneThree’s portfolio and better aligns the operator with an accelerated convergent growth trajectory,” said Natasha Rybak, Principal Analyst, Telecoms Practice at GlobalData.

The service is based on Netgem’s PLEIO platform, with Netgem also handling day-to-day operations and content provision. It will combine live television through the PSB-backed Freely with on demand content, streaming services, music, cloud gaming and Google Play apps through an Android TV device.

GlobalData believes making the service available to VodafoneThree’s large mobile customer base could give it an important point of difference and provide an opportunity to cross-sell both fixed broadband and the operator’s 5G+ SuperMobile plans. Vodafone is also promoting its 5G+ FastTrack quality-of-service feature as part of its video proposition.

However, GlobalData argues that mobile-only availability is currently the service’s principal operator-specific differentiator.

“The launch of Vodafone TV is a much-needed move, but it is late, and as currently detailed, there is no substantive operator-specific or bundled differentiator beyond mobile-only access,” said Rybak.

She said VodafoneThree will need stronger bundled incentives and benefits if television is to become an effective driver of broadband and wider multiplay adoption.

Vodafone TV will include Netflix and HBO Max Standard with Ads, Freely, more than 150 additional live channels and over 300 cloud games, alongside the ability to add services including Disney+, DAZN, Spotify and Prime.

Comcast and Paramount Skydance have launched a strategic review of SkyShowtime, with a possible wind-down of the European streaming service among the options being considered.

The Hollywood Reporter says SkyShowtime’s board informed CEO Monty Sarhan of the review on Monday. No decision has been made and the service will continue to operate normally while the shareholders consider their options.

“SkyShowtime operates in one of the most competitive markets in our industry,” the board said in a letter later distributed by Sahan “Despite the excellent work of the team and the strength of what you and the team have built, the landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and remains highly challenging.”

It added that the review “includes the possibility of a wind down”, although all options remain under consideration.

SkyShowtime was announced in 2021 as a 50:50 joint venture between Comcast and the then ViacomCBS, bringing together programming from Paramount, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Sky Studios, Showtime, Nickelodeon and Peacock in European territories where the companies had not launched their principal US streaming services.

The service now operates across more than 20 European markets. Sarhan told employees that SkyShowtime has “several million subscribers” and stands in scale alongside established players in its markets.

The review comes amid significant changes at both shareholders and the wider US media industry. Paramount is now controlled by Skydance, while Comcast has been restructuring its traditional television interests. The strategic rationale behind maintaining a jointly owned European streaming platform is therefore being reassessed five years after SkyShowtime was conceived.

For the moment, customers and distribution partners are unaffected. The board said every role remains unchanged and asked employees to maintain the operating business’s momentum into 2027.

Any proposal affecting employees will be subject to the required consultation processes in individual markets before final decisions are taken.

IBC2026 attracted 41,225 attendees from 170 countries to the RAI Amsterdam, alongside more than 1,300 exhibitors.

The four-day event recorded an increase in new exhibitors, with 256 companies making their IBC debut, 36% more than in 2025.

However, the number is significantly less than the 43,858 visitors who attended in 2025.

IBC said emerging technologies and practical applications of AI were prominent across this year’s exhibition and conference. The Future Tech area included the new Future Tech Ignite programme, which brought together more than 70 start-ups and emerging companies with investors and established media businesses.

The IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme featured nine projects covering areas including agentic AI, immersive experiences, private 5G, accessibility, content provenance and live-event streaming.

The three-day conference included speakers from broadcasters, streaming platforms, technology companies and sports organisations including BBC Studios, CNN, FIFA, Globo, ITV, JioStar, Netflix, UEFA, Warner Bros Discovery and YouTube.

“IBC’s superpower is the power to convene our industry,” said IBC CEO Mike Crimp. “Our industry has always been at its best when people come together, embrace new technology, and work through challenges to create real opportunity.”

IBC is approaching its 60th anniversary and will return to the RAI Amsterdam from 10 to 13 September 2027.

Bouygues Telecom and ruwido have introduced a new remote control for the French operator’s b.tv decoder, manufactured entirely from recycled plastic recovered from Bouygues Telecom’s previous remote controls.

The companies say the closed-loop manufacturing process allows material from returned remotes to be reused several times without adding virgin plastic.

Manufactured by ruwido in Austria using renewable energy, the remote has received a 2026 Red Dot award for sustainability.

The new device is also designed as a universal remote, allowing Bouygues Telecom subscribers to control both the b.tv decoder and television from a single handset.

“With this new remote control, we are taking a decisive step forward in the home entertainment experience we offer our customers,” said Marc Laurier, CMO of Bouygues Telecom. “Beyond its redesigned ergonomics and its sustainability, this is a truly universal remote that lets subscribers control both their decoder and their TV set from a single device.”

Bouygues Telecom and ruwido have worked together on remote control technology for almost 20 years, with successive generations focusing on improvements to usability and environmental performance.

Ferdinand Maier, CEO and owner of ruwido, said the project demonstrated how product design and user experience could be combined with a genuinely circular manufacturing process.

One in five UK adults are using artificial intelligence services to access news, according to Ofcom’s latest study of news consumption.

The News Report 2026 found that 21% of adults had used an AI app or service for news during the previous month, with ChatGPT the most widely used at 13%.

However, audiences remain cautious about AI-generated journalism. More than half of adults (56%) said they would trust an AI-written news story less than one written by a person.

The findings form part of a wider shift towards online intermediaries as gateways to news. Ofcom found 73% of adults accessed news through services including social media, video-sharing platforms, search engines, aggregators and AI, compared with 57% who used publishers’ websites and apps directly.

Online sources were used for news by 82% of adults during the month, ahead of television at 79%. Of an estimated 72 minutes spent consuming news each day, an average 34 minutes was online and 18 minutes on television.

Social media and video-sharing platforms were used for news by 60% of adults. Facebook remains the most commonly encountered platform for news, at 39%, but YouTube has narrowed the gap, reaching 33%.

Traditional broadcasters nevertheless continue to have substantial reach online. The BBC remains the UK’s most-used news provider, reaching 80% of adults across its own services and third-party platforms. Two-thirds of 16 to 24-year-olds encountered BBC News during the month.

Ofcom also found traditional television retained a particularly important role during elections. Following May’s local, mayoral, Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, television was used for election news by 62% of those aware of the elections, compared with 33% for online sources.

Ian Macrae, Ofcom’s director of market intelligence, said: “In today’s ‘always on’ environment, many people don’t go direct to the news, the news is coming to them through different online intermediaries, increasingly AI-enabled.”

He said public service media would need to continue evolving their distribution strategies to reach audiences as news discovery increasingly moves to third-party platforms.

The German smart TV and OTT solutions provider has worked with Tennis Channel since 2019, supporting its CTV app portfolio across platforms including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, Comcast and Vizio, as well as additional operator environments.

Under the expanded agreement, Foxxum will work with Tennis Channel’s software engineering team to build the new apps on top of the US sports broadcaster’s bespoke backend platform. The project is part of a broader partnership covering product development, platform optimisation and CTV growth.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Tennis Channel and support the next stage of their CTV strategy,” said Ronny Lutzi, CEO of Foxxum. “Migrating existing apps to a new backend is a complex technical step, and our focus is on executing it efficiently across platforms while positioning the service for long-term growth.”

“Foxxum has been a trusted partner since 2019, operating as a true extension of our team,” added Matthew Graham, SVP at Tennis Channel. “They bring deep CTV expertise, stay closely aligned with our business goals, and execute with an agile, collaborative approach that keeps the focus on the priorities that matter most. We’re excited to continue the partnership as we expand our streaming capabilities.”

The agreement comes as Tennis Channel continues to expand its streaming offering across connected devices. The broadcaster operates the Tennis Channel app alongside its flagship network and Tennis Channel 2, a FAST Channel available in more than 100 million US homes.

Tennis Channel is owned by Sinclair and is the exclusive US home of the ATP Tour and WTA Tour. Its app offers live and on-demand matches, original programming and personalised multi-view functionality across mobile and CTV devices.

According to Belgian technology provider EVS, the MediaCeption solution, built around VIA MAP, will provide a unified workflow for the production and distribution of content across television, web and social media. The software-defined platform can be deployed in cloud, hybrid or on-premises environments.

The system will cover workflows ranging from live ingest and editing to media management, playout and distribution. Journalists and editors will be able to collaborate within a common environment, while integration with Adobe Premiere Pro will allow editors to continue using their existing editing tools.

The deployment will also include EVS server infrastructure. XS-VIA will provide ingest and playout capabilities, while XStore will be used for nearline storage and access to content during production.

VIA MAP will be integrated with the Hauptstadtstudio’s existing technology environment, including newsroom computer systems, craft editing and automation. EVS said open APIs will allow additional tools and systems to be integrated as the newsroom develops.

“We are delighted to welcome ARD Hauptstadtstudio as the latest ARD organisation to join the growing number of broadcasters relying on EVS solutions to support their transition to a modern news production environment,” said Serge Van Herck, CEO of EVS.

“This project demonstrates how VIA MAP can combine the reliability expected in live production with the flexibility required by today’s cross-media newsrooms delivering stories through linear, digital and social media channels. We look forward to working with the ARD Hauptstadtstudio team as they modernise their workflows and pave the way for the next generation of news production with EVS,” Van Herck added.

According to EVS, the move to the new platform is intended to accelerate content turnaround, streamline operations and improve collaboration between teams. The solution also includes AI-powered production tools.

The industry association expects the market to grow by 1.3% to €5.6 billion in 2026, driven primarily by subscription streaming.

Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) generated €3 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest growth segment. VAUNET forecasts a further 5% increase to €3.2 billion in 2026.

The number of pay-TV subscriptions increased from 15.2 million in 2024 to 15.8 million in 2025 and is expected to reach 16.4 million this year. Paid streaming subscriptions rose from 25.4 million to 25.9 million and are forecast to reach 26.7 million in 2026.

The figures are contained in VAUNET’s Pay-TV & Paid VOD in Germany 2025/2026 market report, which covers revenues from paid services offered by both German and international providers and platforms. Advertising revenues are excluded.

At the press conference, the prospects for cooperation between German streaming providers also emerged as an issue. While industry executives stressed the importance of local partnerships to strengthen the position of German players against the major US streaming platforms, the German market remains fragmented.

The two largest commercial broadcasters have so far kept their streaming ecosystems largely separate. ProSiebenSat.1’s channels are not available on RTL+, while RTL’s channels are not offered on ProSiebenSat.1’s Joyn.

Asked by Broadband TV News whether the two companies were therefore standing in their own way, Nicole Agudo Berbel, Managing Director and Chief Distribution & Partnerships Officer at ProSiebenSat.1, pointed to the recent acquisition of Sky Deutschland by RTL Deutschland.

“The ProSiebenSat.1 channels are already available on Sky Stream,” Agudo Berbel said. “We are in discussions, but these things take time.” Henning Nieslony, Executive Vice President Streaming at RTL Deutschland, confirmed that talks between the companies are taking place.

The acquisition of Sky by RTL could provide an opening for the two major commercial broadcasters to make their channels available on each other’s streaming platforms, potentially ending a long-standing deadlock. Sky Stream, where ProSiebenSat.1 channels are already available, could become a door-opener for further cooperation.