Roundup: Streaming Industry Predictions for 2026
As we bid a fond or not-so-fond farewell to 2025, predictions and prognostications for 2026 (in the streaming industry and everywhere else) abound, among them the bold and not-so-bold, the wise and not-so-wise, the far-seeing and the far-fetched. Just last week as I type this, amidst all the ongoing back and forth on the long-anticipated but far-from-resolved Warner Bros. acquisition and merger saga, we wrapped up our last Streaming Media Connect event of the year, which looked to the future a number of times—first, and perhaps most excitingly with talk of NASA’s Artemis II and Artemis III lunar missions in our opening “Streaming the Universe” keynote with NASA+ Head & GM Rebecca Sirmons.
Often as at other events, sessions end with an open-ended question on how the topic at hand might shake out in 3 or 5 years, or whether tech or protocols or strategies that are fringe or cutting-edge will reach the mainstream at some designated future date. But one of my favorite moments at Streaming Media Connect December happened with Live X’s Corey Benkhe, moderating a panel on streamlining livestreaming workflows, asked his panelists what is the one part of the streaming workflow that will be outdated and obsolete in three years?
The predictions game is a fascinating one, and one that’s hard not to play at year’s end, whether we’re talking about what’s to come in the next year or three, or what’s just as likely to be gone. In the last few weeks, my own editorial inbox has filled to bursting with unsolicited but much-welcomed season’s greetings from a disparate array of industry experts and thought leaders ringing in “End-of-Year Prediction Season” with all manner of educated guesses and promising bets about what’s going to happen in 2026.
Here’s a quick roundup of the most intriguing, thoughtful, and surprising ones, organized into some rough categories. There’s much food for thought here, but no prediction’s inclusion should be read as an endorsement. We can reasonably expect some to come partly or mostly or entirely true, while others might leave us scratching our heads in December 2026 when we realize how far they missed the mark, or simply jumped the gun. If some of these predictions haven’t come true a year from now, maybe they were just a little too far-seeing, and these forecasts will look better in 2027.
Thanks to one and all for their insight, and for sticking their necks out with these predictions—especially the boldest and far-sighted of the bunch. And without further ado, let the prognosticating rites of winter begin.
Workflows, Automation, Architecture, and Infrastructure
Sub-3-second latency will enable new streaming business models: In 2026, sub-3-second latency will become widely adopted for streaming sports and interactivity enabling operators to introduce commerce models that depend on near-real-time delivery. Focusing on latency reduction will allow operators to unlock new revenue streams including betting and premium multi-view packages for sports. Latency alignment will enable operators to leverage AI-driven metadata instantly to make new viewing experiences, commerce opportunities and interactive campaigns more aligned with what viewers are used to on their social media platforms. Latency alignment between broadcast and streaming will also reduce subscriber churn as viewers no longer experience frustrating delays compared to traditional TV.—Elke Hungenaert, Vice President of Product Management, Video Network, Synamedia
Hybrid is the new normal: The migration to the cloud is not a straight line; it’s a balancing act. We’ve reached a tipping point where certain workflows must be in the cloud and that shift will accelerate as more AI applications emerge. But full cloud isn’t always the answer. Hybrid models offer the control and predictability of on-premise systems with the scalability and efficiency of cloud. For sports broadcasters, 2026 will be the year this balance becomes standard practice.—Simon Brydon, Head of Sport, Video Network, Synamedia
AI becomes truly agentic and drives a new phase of cloud repatriation: AI is no longer just a tool for optimization. In 2026, agentic AI starts replacing full workflows, and that shift will separate companies that understand how to use AI from those that fight it. The real impact isn’t that AI replaces jobs, but that it replaces the tasks people shouldn’t be doing in the first place—the repetitive, time-sucking operations that drain teams. Organizations that lean into agentic AI will run faster, make decisions earlier, and redirect people into work that actually moves the business.
As AI becomes more embedded in day-to-day operations, more companies will realize that complexity and cost are pushing them away from the hyperscalers. They’re seeing outages, noisy-neighbor issues, unpredictable billing, and environments so complex that one failure cascades through the whole stack. AI workloads, especially GPU-heavy ones, run better, and more cost-effectively, when the infrastructure is simpler, more transparent, and built for their exact workloads. That’s why 2026 will be a major year for cloud repatriation back to regional providers and bare-metal platforms built for performance.—Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb
The biggest AI impact in 2026 is the most unsexy: operations: The hype cycle is over; practicality will take center stage. Operational AI, specifically LLM-driven automation, will transform the video software industry in 2026 by delivering measurable improvements in reliability and scalability alongside a reduced operational burden. The most significant AI breakthroughs will be behind the scenes, with the automation of workflow ‘micro-decisions’ such as meta-data triggers and synchronization. Copilots that read configurations, detect anomalies, forecast issues, interpret logs, and guide operators through fixes in real time will also become the norm.—Elke Hungenaert, Vice President of Product Management, Video Network, Synamedia
Multi-cloud fragmentation becomes a crisis: Whether they planned it or not… by 2026, nearly every enterprise will be operating in a patchwork of public cloud, private cloud, containers, and edge environments. When apps need to talk to each other securely, or when data must move quickly and reliably to support analytics and AI, that fragmentation will become a real liability. Teams are already discovering that traditional networking and legacy failover approaches simply don’t work at multi-cloud scale. The complexity isn’t slowing down - so the resiliency architecture and network connectivity has to evolve to match the world we’re deploying into.
What I expect to see in 2026 is a massive shift toward secure, lightweight, point-to-point connectivity models built on zero-trust principles. Companies need a way to ensure constant uptime, fast recovery, and secure movement of data across clouds without wrestling with brittle tunnels or static network overlays. High availability isn’t just about servers anymore - it’s about the entire distributed fabric staying resilient. Businesses will choose solutions that let them seamlessly failover across clouds, maintain jurisdictional control, and securely reach any resource from anywhere. That’s the only way to operate confidently in a multi-cloud world.—Don Boxley, CEO & Co-Founder, DH2i
Automation becomes the industry’s operating system: The macro trends shaping 2026 – specialization, consolidation, workflow simplification and autonomous advertising – aren’t abstract ideas, they’re the realities guiding how advertisers plan and buy today. We’re seeing the industry shift from experimentation to execution, where efficiency and intelligence are the real differentiators. And the companies that embrace this reality, adopting automation and streamlining how they operate across the ecosystem, will be the ones who win.—Irina Katsnelson, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Nexxen
Shifting from satellite to IP distribution will rise to the top of the agenda: In 2026, broadcasters will start accelerating their transition to IP distribution away from satellite, particularly among U.S. broadcasters who are feeling the pressure of the forthcoming C-Band spectrum reallocation. The drivers are clear: consumers demand high quality HD and 4K channels and operators want to increase flexibility and redundancy. As a result, hybrid IP-first models that reduce operational risk will become the new standard.—Elke Hungenaert, Vice President of Product Management, Video Network, Synamedia
The World Cup resilience test: The FIFA 2026 World Cup will be the single biggest driver of technology investment of 2026. After recent high-profile streaming outages, disaster recovery is moving from afterthought to board-level priority. With modern cloud architectures, there’s no excuse for service collapse.—Simon Brydon, Head of Sport, Video Network, Synamedia
Content and Channel Strategy
A boom in niche sports: As the rights to top-tier leagues grow too costly for all but the biggest media players, 2026 will see increased investment in mid-tier and niche sports with passionate followings. Expect broader distribution for sports like volleyball and tennis, continued momentum in women’s leagues, and the rise of participant-driven properties such as professional pickleball and cornhole—sports that already attract devoted audiences and are increasingly TV- and streaming-ready.—Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder, Hub Entertainment Research
Vertical video becomes the open web’s new front door—and its next premium channel: By 2026, vertical video won’t just enhance publisher experiences—it will define them. As short-form becomes the dominant language of the internet and 90% of consumers say they’re open to vertical video on publisher sites, publishers will rebuild homepages and article templates around immersive, swipe-first video streams rather than static layouts. This evolution will fundamentally change how users enter and navigate the open web, with vertical clips acting as a dynamic “front door” that funnels audiences into news, evergreen content, and commerce experiences. At the same time, the rise of AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes will push advertisers toward brand-safe vertical environments controlled by trusted publishers, elevating vertical video from a format to a standalone premium channel. Expect CMOs to carve out dedicated budgets for this inventory as attention and engagement—not just views—become the core KPIs for digital storytelling. The result: the open web finally competes with walled gardens on the same creative canvas, but with one crucial advantage: credibility.—Karan Dalal - COO, Media.net
Streaming Will Pivot From Content Quantity to Retention Engineering: After years of chasing subscriber spikes with high-cost originals, streaming platforms will abandon the “Peak TV” playbook and prioritize retention above all else. Instead of massive slates, the focus will shift to programming architectures that drive predictable engagement—weekly releases, cross-title funneling, and algorithmic scheduling built around viewing behavior. As profitability pressures intensify, platforms will optimize for stability, not spectacle.
This shift will force advertisers to rethink how they value CTV environments, with consistent attention outweighing one-off cultural hits. The streaming landscape won’t be defined by who has the most shows, but by who has the most loyal viewers.—Matt Fanelli, CRO, Digital Remedy
FAST consolidates but doesn’t contract: The FAST space is slated to mature as the days of launching a “whatever we can license” channel are over. In 2026, volume for volume’s sake is out; editorial vision, thematic cohesion, and audience intention are in. Viewers are no longer grazing—they’re looking for streaming with a point of view. Expect a rise in creator-led channels, lifestyle verticals, and brand-aligned experiences that feel more like destinations than dumping grounds.
Live content, especially news and sports, will show up more in FAST, but not as standalone plays. It will come wrapped in the infrastructure of trusted AVOD platforms where distribution, data, and audience already live. That’s the difference between launching a channel and launching an ecosystem. The winners will be the platforms and partners who know their audience, stay disciplined, and build with long-term resonance—not short-term trend-chasing.—David Di Lorenzo, SVP of Kids & Family, Future Today
Seamless subscriber access: Applications are becoming increasingly fluid, operating across a wider variety of devices and operating environments from in-home to mobile and travel. The focus is shifting toward effortless and seamless access, with faster authentication and simpler login flows that allow users to connect to their subscribed services anytime, anywhere. As this continues to evolve, the concept of the platform itself becomes more portable, following the user rather than being bound to specific devices.—Tzvi Gerstl, Media Technology, Synamedia
Creators will redefine TV production: Next year we’ll see creators bypass social platforms entirely and go straight to the living room via AVOD and FAST. These streaming platforms are the new frontier as they’re more flexible, more aligned with how audiences actually watch content, and lucrative, opening new sustainable revenue streams for creators.
This shift is already under way from the Mr. Beasts of the world, to other creators like Like Nastya, Gemma Stafford, and more. With the wealth of audience data and insights CTV environments provide, advertisers can better align with creator-led content that reflects brand values and drives meaningful engagement.
That’s the revolution: brands finally have the precision to support creators who build genuine communities, and deliver measurable results. The next wave will be long-form IP and creator-led channels that fill the cultural and emotional gaps traditional television left behind.—Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder, Future Today
AI-Powered operations and discovery: AI will continue to reshape both operations and user experience, taking personalization to the next level. It will become a central tool for operators to enhance and target their catalogs more effectively. Beyond automation, AI will drive content enrichment through automatic translation, smarter metadata, and improved recommendations. From predictive operations and voice-based discovery to automated QC, AI will move from pilot to production.—Tzvi Gerstl, Media Technology, Synamedia
Micro-episode content surges: Looking ahead to 2026, the streaming industry is entering a transformative phase. While long-form cinema remains prestigious, the viewing habits of younger generations are fueling a surge in "Micro-Episode" formats. We foresee the launch of dedicated channels and platforms delivering serialized, high-production-value dramas in 2–5 minute vertical segments. This isn't user-generated content, it's premium storytelling specifically engineered for current viewing patterns. This trend acknowledges that "primetime" is now anytime, requiring premium narratives to adapt and fit seamlessly into the fragmented schedules of modern viewers.
Interactivity will be the defining characteristic of next-generation streaming. Younger audiences expect immersive features such as polls, overlays, social feeds, and gamified avatars to be part of the core experience. Creator-driven linear channels and token-gated content will introduce new monetization opportunities, while virtual goods and micro-transactions will make FAST channels feel more like social platforms than traditional TV. Companies that embrace these participatory models will be well-positioned as streaming evolves into a space where community, commerce, and content converge.—Einat Kahana, VP of Product solutions at Viaccess-Orca
Amazon tackles the discovery problem: As frustration with content search and discovery reaches a tipping point, 2026 could see Amazon Prime Video introduce a universal video search experience that spans platforms—including services outside the Amazon ecosystem. By positioning itself as the easiest place to find anything to watch, Amazon stands to become a default viewing hub, with more consumers centralizing and managing their subscriptions through the Prime Video interface.—Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
Evolving content experience: Content aggregation remains a priority, but 2026 will mark a stronger fusion of traditional and social media experiences. Short-form portrait content and influencer-driven media will enter mainstream TV platforms, blurring the lines between entertainment, engagement, and community. Two-screen experiences - combining mobile interaction with main-screen viewing - may start growing, especially among younger audiences seeking more active and social engagement around live events. At the same time, we may start see the introduction of a much simpler user experience, transitioning away from complex content rail views and menus to a more intuitive and fluid discovery experience.—Tzvi Gerstl, Media Technology, Synamedia
More—and bigger—bundles: While streaming TV remains the epicenter of consumer “subscription overload,” the issue extends far beyond video. As households juggle more paid services, 2026 will bring an expansion of bundles from pay TV operators and other aggregators such as telcos and Amazon. These packages will increasingly combine TV with adjacent entertainment like gaming and music, as well as non-entertainment subscriptions ranging from grocery delivery to fitness and e-learning. For pay TV providers, bundling represents a powerful way to reduce churn by delivering value that standalone streaming services can’t match.—Jon Giegengack, Principal and Founder, Hub Entertainment Research
Netflix absorbs HBO: In a dramatic consolidation move, Netflix could fold HBO’s premium content into its flagship service and rebrand HBO’s linear channels under the Netflix name. Once synonymous with prestige television, the HBO brand would finally meet its demise after more than 50 years—its legacy overtaken by streaming-era scale, successive mergers, and strategic missteps.—Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant, Hub Entertainment Research
YouTube’s push onto the big screen: As YouTube continues to grow overall viewing time, 2026 will see a stronger emphasis on driving consumption on TV screens through licensed, long-tail movies and classic TV series. By packaging and promoting familiar titles in ways that appeal to audiences encountering them for the first time, YouTube is poised to extend its dominance beyond short-form and capture more living-room viewing.”—Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant, Hub
Kids’ privacy will redefine brand safety and transparency will be the new trust signal: 2026 will mark a turning point where kids’ privacy moves from a compliance topic to the defining issue of brand safety. As AI-generated content accelerates and consumer privacy laws tighten, advertisers will no longer accept vague assurances or black-box measurement. They’ll demand verifiable proof that every impression is safe, age-appropriate, and aligned with their values. COPPA and its successors will become the framework by which trust is measured across the entire CTV ecosystem. Marketers will demand partners demonstrate real accountability from AI-powered verification tools, clear age-appropriate contextual controls, and full visibility into data usage. In an era defined by algorithmic opacity and AI-driven noise, trust will be the new currency. Platforms that treat kids’ privacy and transparency as core to their identity, not just regulatory obligations, will define the next era of responsible advertising.—David Di Lorenzo, SVP of Kids & Family, Future Today
Monetization and Measurement
AI will empower SMBs to compete with giants in advertising: AI flips the power dynamic in advertising next year. Small and mid-sized businesses will compete on the same playing field as the world’s biggest brands—not because they’re spending more, but because they’re thinking smarter. The same sophistication that once required big budgets and agency-scale resources can now be achieved through intuitive, AI-powered platforms.
The next wave of AI innovation will be less about flashy creative tools and more intelligence at the infrastructure level: real-time price floor optimization, dynamic audience segmentation, and contextual tracking that works without IDs or cookies. However, the true differentiator won’t be the algorithms but the humans who know how to use them. When machine precision meets human insight, brands can deeply understand audiences and reflect real values, to deliver authentic and effective ads.—Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder, Future Today
LLMs will force a new economic model for the open web: Large Language Models are accelerating a profound shift in how audiences discover and consume information, and the economic foundations of the open web are under strain. Zero-click behavior now accounts for nearly sixty percent of searches, contributing to double-digit declines in referral traffic for many publishers and far sharper drops in news. As AI summaries increasingly replace traditional search pathways, publishers are losing both audience and monetizable attention, while generative AI platforms continue to expand their user bases without proportionally returning value to the sources they rely upon.
This imbalance will trigger sustained regulatory and legal pressure across global markets in 2026. Courts and policymakers are increasingly unwilling to allow AI platforms to extract value from copyrighted content without compensation. A recent German court ruling found that OpenAI violated German copyright law and ordered the company to pay damages, establishing one of the clearest precedents yet that LLMs must financially compensate rights holders. Similar regulatory approaches are emerging in other jurisdictions, indicating a global shift toward enforcing economic fairness in AI content use. As audiences migrate toward AI mediated discovery and traditional search-based business models erode, the industry will be forced to pursue a durable, long-term economic model ensuring open web media companies can sustain themselves. Without a rebalanced system in which value flows back to content creators, the open web risks deep structural decline at the very moment its importance to AI models is increasing.—Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab
AI will become the silent architect of every media plan: AI will move from a novelty tool to the default engine behind planning, transforming how campaigns are built. Instead of starting fresh each cycle, planning will draw from continuously updating behavioral intelligence, shrinking weeks of manual work into hours. The real shift is continuity: AI will carry forward what drove performance and what didn’t, creating a compounding advantage traditional workflows can’t match. As this becomes standard, the gap will widen between advertisers who plan with live intelligence and those relying on last quarter’s assumptions. In 2026, the fastest-growing brands will be the ones whose media plans never start at zero.—Matt Fanelli, CRO, Digital Remedy
Agentic advertising will face false starts as creative production becomes the first true breakthrough: As we look to 2026, the digital media economy will enter a formative yet unsettled phase for AI-driven innovation. Although AI solutions will increasingly take shape, the industry should expect several false starts in deploying agentic solutions. The promise of agentic AI is real and meaningful, yet its practical application will require years of market experimentation, standardization, and alignment across platforms, agencies, and publishers.
In the near term, the most immediate and measurable efficiencies will arise in creative generation and copywriting. Generative AI is already reshaping these workflows, and leading global brands such as Coca-Cola and General Motors are demonstrating how AI-driven content production can dramatically accelerate creative cycles while maintaining brand integrity. In 2026, this will become the first area of true operational transformation across the broader ecosystem.
By contrast, agentic AI will be characterized by competing models, proprietary implementations, and a fragmented set of early solutions. While experimentation will accelerate across the industry, a unified approach is unlikely to emerge for several years as buyers, sellers, and technology partners test and iterate on divergent architectures.
In short, 2026 will be a year of meaningful progress tempered by uneven execution. Generative AI will deliver tangible value in creative production, led by pioneering brands already proving what is possible, while the broader agentic future will require continued investment, collaboration, and standardization.—Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab
Attention becomes the new performance metric: The industry is moving beyond clicks and impressions. Attention measured through time-in-view, creative resonance and contextual alignment is becoming the new performance signal. This is the first step towards real outcome-based models, where success will be determined by the consumer’s response, not the platform’s metric.—Oscar Rondon, CP, Data and Measurement Solutions, Nexxen
CTV investment accelerates as measurement and AI evolve: CTV remains a true lean-back, highly engaged environment, but it’s under-monetized relative to time spent. In 2026, that gap in spend will likely narrow as outcome measurement improves and AI reduces production costs, expanding access to this high-quality inventory.—Eric Solomon, SVP, Product, Nexxen
New CTV formats scale through programmatic efficiency: Innovative ad formats—like pause ads and native placements on OEM platforms—are gaining traction, but standardization remains fragmented. The next phase of growth will rely on bridging creative innovation with programmatic efficiency, ensuring these experiences scale beyond direct deals into automated, measurable environments.—Ally Appelbaum, VP, Global CTV Partnerships, Nexxen
Creative monetization: Ad-based streaming and hybrid subscription models will accelerate unlocking commercial creativity. Operators will explore tiered offers, dynamic advertising, and innovative bundles designed for specific audience segments and events.—Tzvi Gerstl, Media Technology, Synamedia
Linear television will hit a point of no return: In 2026, streaming will continue expanding, but the pace of fragmentation across the TV ecosystem will make it impossible for traditional linear buys to deliver meaningful scale. Industry data already shows global linear TV ad spend down more than a quarter in nominal terms over the past decade and more than half when adjusted for inflation, confirming this shift is structural, not cyclical.
As GRPs disappear, brands are redirecting budgets toward channels that reliably reach audiences. High-reach digital video and connected TV are on track for continued double-digit revenue growth and are expected to surpass linear TV ad revenue globally. Out-of-home is emerging as one of the few remaining channels that can still deliver large-scale, dependable reach without wading through a fractured distribution landscape; the category is projected to reach roughly $49–50 billion in 2025 and maintain steady momentum. At the same time, retail media and other performance-driven environments continue to attract incremental investment thanks to their strong measurement and proximity to conversion.—Adam Singer, VP, AdQuick
What’s Coming with Codecs
VVC will flop despite industry promotion: Versatile Video Coding (VVC) continues to be promoted as the next universal codec, but the industry isn't ready for it, and in 2026 it will not achieve the mass adoption pundits predict. The challenges are that device support is limited, and deployment costs are high. Meanwhile, AI-enhanced AVC/HEVC and perpetual encoding already deliver real-world, practical gains without requiring a disruptive codec migration. VVC isn't bad technology—it's simply mistimed.—Elke Hungenaert, Vice President of Product Management, Video Network, Synamedia
Tailored compression is around the corner: In 2026, AI will usher in a new era in video compression that goes beyond decisions based purely on cost to prioritize QoE, making it possible to tailor rendering for different parts of an image. During a basketball match, for example, this would mean superior image quality for the player with the ball while the spectators could be rendered at a lower quality. This breakthrough will be possible because real-time ROI detection, which determines perceived visual value, is now practical using GPU. With an AI encoder that maximizes QoE rather than simply optimizing for cost, it will be possible for content providers to differentiate their sports streaming with a distinctive visual signature.—Elke Hungenaert, Vice President of Product Management, Video Network, Synamedia
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