Nominate Now for the 2026 Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards

What's your favorite streaming tool, tech, or service? What is the most important new innovation in the business in 2026? It's time to make your nominations for Streaming Media's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, our annual industry awards program chosen by end users.

Women-Centered, Artist-Owned: A Q&A With Chera TV

Streaming Media has been tracking the trend of vertical microdramas (aka vertical dramas), as multiple companies gain traction in the space. The subject of this Q&A, Chera TV, is hoping its unique approach of being what it calls "the first artist-owned vertical streaming platform" can entice viewers to give it a try as it introduces its dramas this spring.

NAB 2026: Things You Might Have Missed

An in-depth look some developments that may have flown under the radar at NAB 2026, from the rise of differentiated agentic media solutions and workflows and the demise of SaaS to advances in audio stem separations and the industry's better-late-than-never cult of content authenticity via C2PA.

NAB 2026: AI-Powered Video Creation with Avid and Google

Avid and Google teamed up for a tech preview at NAB 2026 to demonstrate new generative video functionality for Avid Media Composer. This workflow tool brings us to the front of the lens, where we've moved one step closer to building realistic content with Gen AI.

Sneak Preview: Creating Lean-In Engagement With Personalized, Next-Gen Sports Streaming Experiences

On Wednesday, May 13, Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "Fans Forward: Creating Lean-In Engagement With Personalized, Next-Gen Sports Streaming Experiences." This panel explores how next-gen platforms deliver individualized sports experiences: customizable commentary tracks, fan-selected camera angles, in-game ecommerce, personalized graphic overlays and statistics, and even AI-generated highlight reels tailored to individual interests.

NAB 2026: NVIDIA’s Not-So-Secret AI Agents

One demo I saw at NAB 2026 covered using agents to create content. Obviously, agents need to be managed so they don't think too far outside the box. In this demo, NVIDIA talked about their control plane for a multitask agent project that helps create both a script and animated characters.

NAB 2026: AMC Global Media's AWS-Driven AI Journey

My visit to NAB 2026 skewed heavily toward talking about workflow changes with AI. I tried to keep my travels on the convention floor to very specific examples of AI's impact on streaming workflows, and this article will explore the most interesting ones I found. First up is how AMC Global Media (newly rebranded from AMC Networks) is working with AWS to leverage AI to create better content access.

New Study Reveals Power of Contextual in CTV: Content Adjacency Drives 4X Brand Lift for High-Consideration Categories

New research from Video Elephant shows that contextual relevance is the 'missing link' in achieving meaningful brand lift. The new report, titled The Power of Context: Driving Lift Through Video, finds that contextual alignment between an ad and its surrounding content is a primary driver of brand perception, with the power to 4X brand lift compared to industry averages.

New Research from Hub: Roku and Amazon TV Operating Systems Gain Influence as Consumers Explore New AI Integrations Across the Home

AI-powered home devices and smart TVs present new opportunities to improve home security, health, and entertainment experiences

NAB 2026, Via LA, and the Future of NDI|HX

As a longtime fan and proponent of NDI, I feel that new codec licensing fees and the response of hardware manufacturers put the entire future of HX on shaky ground.

Q&A: Paramount Global CTO Phil Wiser Talks AI in Media

After delivering a presentation on "AI's Impact on Media" at HumanX in San Francisco on April 7, Paramount Global CTO and Head of Multiplatform Innovations Phil Wiser did an open Q & A with attendees expanding on the key themes of his presentations.

What Live Sports Still Do Better Than Anything Else

Over the past decade, the streaming industry has worked hard to make sports more flexible. Cloud production, remote workflows, personalized streams, highlights on demand, clips everywhere. All of this has been important and largely positive. It has expanded access and reach. It has lowered barriers and opened new audiences. But in doing so, it has sometimes overlooked the one thing sports have always done better than anything else. It creates shared moments, in real time, that pull people into the same emotional space.

Why the Future of Remote Production May Run at the Speed of Light

If immersive, real-time, and AI-driven production is the future, the underlying network must change, argue photonics advocates and members of IOWN.

Setplex Transforms Video Streaming with AI and Super Aggregation Innovations at the 2026 NAB Show

Setplex's Fully Integrated Zapflex Platform Empowers Operators and Media Owners to Manage, Distribute, and Monetize Video

Netflix Ramps Up Ad Suite

Netflix hopes the special sauce of their newly expanded expanded Ads Suite with assists from Amazon and Yahoo DSP will make CTV look different. This balance of data and technology, making things faster, more efficient, and more personalized within the ad environment should bring a unique experience to the marketplace.

Vertical Leap: Growing the Free Vertical Drama Business at Streaming Media Connect

On Thursday, February 26, at Streaming Media Connect, the panel "Vertical Leap: Growing the Free Vertical Drama Business at Streaming Media Connect" assembled expert practitioners from Celestine Pictures, Hudson Vertical, Stratagem Vertical, and GoodShort to explore the ways that vertical drama is exploding on free streaming platforms, driven by mobile-first viewing, bingeable formats, and a new generation of viewers and global creators.

ICYMI: Streaming Media Connect February 2026

Streaming Media Connect February 2026 was all about the business and tech of ad-supported streaming and featured exclusive keynote fireside chats with Michelle Auguste of the NBA, Michelle Munson of Eluvio, and Kimmy Li of GAMELOOP and a slate of expert panels panels packed with speakers from YouTube, Disney, DAZN, Fubo, Fremantle, FloSports, Fuse, LG, Philo, Bitmovin, CacheFly, Tavant, and more. Check out a playlist with Streaming Media Connect sessions on Streaming Media's YouTube channel to catch the sessions you missed and revel in the ones you want to relive through the magic of VOD.

Sneak Preview: Finder’s Feat: Optimizing Search & Discovery With Metadata & Machine Learning at Streaming Media Connect

In this era of constant content proliferation and channel saturation, discovery is critical to content monetization. Join an expert panel at Streaming Media Connect on February 26 to explore how structured metadata and machine learning-powered discovery tools bring great content to light, improving relevance, boosting engagement, and driving measurable revenue impact.

Sneak Preview: Leveraging AI for Contextual CTV Advertising at Streaming Media Connect

On Thursday, February 26, join content monetization pros from Roku, Philo, DAZN, Tavant, Intersection, and the SVTA for the Streaming Media Connect panel "All About Context: Leveraging AI for Contextual CTV Advertising." Learn how AI-powered audience data, metrics analysis, and real-time decisioning propel tailored, targeted CTV ad experiences that boost relevance, heighten engagement, and grow revenue.

Sneak Preview: Match & Measure: Evaluating CTV Ad Effectiveness at Streaming Media Connect 2026

On Tuesday, February 24, Erin Firneno, EVP of business intelligence at Advertiser Perceptions, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel "Match & Measure: Evaluating CTV Ad Effectiveness." As more advertising budget trends toward CTV, proving performance across fragmented platforms is critical to the success of the brands that invest in it. This panel of measurement and metrics experts from the ad-supported streaming ecosystem breaks down how marketers and publishers are reaching responsive audiences, moving from exposure to engagement to measurable outcomes, and identifying what truly moves the needle in CTV advertising.