IBC 2026 Podcasts

IBC – the International Broadcasting Convention – is one of the biggest events in the European broadcasting and streaming calendar. At this year’s gathering, we recorded 12 episodes of our podcast, The Riffs Show, from the Bedrock Streaming stand in Hall 5; gauging the mood, exploring emerging trends and asking vendors what they were selling – and broadcasters what they were buying.

Conversations ranged from ITV’s A/B testing and World Cup preparations to Sky News’s insights into young audiences watching live news on connected TVs; from Globo’s digital and streaming services to Bedrock’s research into streaming platform costs.

Alongside our guests, podcast hosts Kauser Kanji and Ben Keen reflected on the show, the industry’s appetite for AI and the gap between vendor promises and broadcasters’ priorities.

Watch all 12 episodes below. Each episode page includes a summary, key takeaways and timestamped chapters to help you find the topics that interest you.

 

  • Episode #1 – Welcome to IBC

    Industry analyst, Ben Keen, and I kick off our IBC 2026 podcast series from the Bedrock Streaming stand (Hall 5, C77), setting out the questions we’ll be exploring over the coming days. Chief among them: is AI now generating real, incremental revenue for media technology vendors? Alongside our first impressions …

  • Episode #2 – Joe Harbinson, Sky News

    Ben and I are joined by Joe Harbinson, Head of Commercial Partnerships at Sky News, for his first visit to IBC. Joe outlines Sky News’s 2030 strategy to build a video-first newsroom for the digital future, and how connected TV, YouTube, TikTok and its own apps fit into that ambition. …

  • Episode #3 – Ben & Kauser, Day 2

    Ben and I compare notes on our first day at IBC, from Brightcove’s direction under Bending Spoons to demonstrations of TiVo Lens and Agent TiVo. We discuss whether a focus on profitability can coexist with continued innovation, and revisit two familiar ideas gaining new capabilities through AI: …

  • Episode #4 – Briana Larsen, Xperi

    I’m joined by Briana Larsen, VP of Content Partnerships at Xperi, to discuss how TiVo brings streaming services and linear TV together across smart TVs, pay-TV boxes and automotive entertainment systems. Briana explains how negotiating partnerships across multiple operators and manufacturers helps smaller players secure major streaming apps, and why …

  • Episode #5 – Steve Forde, Lee Marshall, ITVX

    I’m joined by Steve Forde, Director of Core Experience, and Lee Marshall, Director of Growth at ITVX, to explore how product development can prove its contribution to streaming growth. They explain ITVX’s shift towards teams organised around viewer journeys, and how a long-term holdout group helps …

  • Episode #6 – Lior Friedman, RoseBerry

    Ben talks to Lior Friedman, Co-Founder, Head of Business Development, at RoseBerry, about the opportunity for “vertical television” beyond micro dramas. Lior explains how the company is developing originals and adapting existing programmes for mobile audiences, including reality, true crime and scripted content. Repurposing takes more than cropping a landscape …

  • Episode #7 – Jonas Engwall, Bedrock Streaming

    Ben and I talk to Jonas Engwall, CEO of Bedrock Streaming, about the streaming platform ratio: technology and product costs, excluding content and marketing, as a proportion of streaming revenue. Drawing on research commissioned with the DPP, Jonas explains how this measure can help streamers benchmark their spending against peers …

  • Episode #8 – Kym Niblock, Sky New Zealand

    I catch up with Kym Niblock, Chief Transformation Officer at Sky New Zealand, on her first visit to IBC in nine years. We discuss the evolution of streaming in New Zealand and Australia, audiences who move between subscriptions to follow particular programmes, and the importance of local stories that can …

  • Episode #9 – Gulliver Smithers, Caterpillar Captions

    I’m joined by Gulliver Smithers, Chief Product Officer at Caterpillar Captions, to discuss how children’s television can support literacy through subtitles designed specifically for young readers. Gulliver explains why simply switching captions on isn’t enough: timing, typography, accuracy and presentation all matter. We explore how Caterpillar upgrades subtitles for existing …

  • Episode #10 – Kauser and Ben, Day 3

    Ben and I take stock of the mood among technology vendors on Day 3 of IBC. I offer an informal framework around the four dominant moods I’m hearing: “fortress” businesses with established strengths, AI-native companies and products, firms reinforcing their capabilities, and those showing signs of anxiety. These categories can …

  • Episode #11 – Igor Macaubus, Globo

    Ben and I are joined by Igor Macaubas, Director of Product & Engineering at Globo, to explore the scale and strategy behind one of Brazil’s leading streaming services. Igor outlines Globoplay’s mix of free, advertising-supported viewing and premium subscriptions, alongside Globo’s wider digital ecosystem. We discuss its approach to building …

  • Episode #12 – Wrap-up of IBC

    Ben and I wrap up our IBC 2026 series by reflecting on the mood at the show and what our conversations reveal about the industry’s direction. Vendor sentiment feels subdued, but there are signs of progress as AI discussions move towards practical applications, business models and pricing. Ben shares his …