IBC2026 has unveiled a compelling conference programme that will bring together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters, platforms and brands to examine the forces reshaping the media and entertainment (M&E) industry.
The IBC2026 Conference, taking place from 11–13 September at the RAI Amsterdam, is structured around IBC’s core themes: Transformative Business Models, Disruptive Technologies, and People and Purpose. The programme will explore not only what is changing across the industry, but also how media companies can adapt, compete and create new opportunities.
The IBC2026 Conference reflects an industry that is no longer asking what innovations are coming next, but how to put them into practice. From artificial intelligence to sport, the creator economy, advertising, news, content trust, audience behaviour and monetisation, this year’s programme brings together the people shaping the future of media and entertainment while driving the debate on the issues the industry needs to address now, said Sally Watts, Content Manager at IBC.
AI moves from promise to real-world application
Artificial intelligence will be one of the conference’s central themes, opening with the session Disrupt, Innovate, Create: How to Embrace AI, featuring Eline van der Velden, founder and CEO of Particle 6 and creator of the AI actress Tilly Norwood, who will appear virtually alongside her. The session will explore the growing influence of AI in writing, production and content creation, as well as the implications of generative tools for originality, authorship and the role of human creativity.
IBC is an essential event on the media and entertainment calendar, and its ability to bring together leading creative professionals and technology experts from around the world to share knowledge and collaborate makes it an unmissable gathering, said van der Velden.
The conference will go beyond the excitement surrounding AI to assess its real impact across the media value chain. Highlights include CTO Perspectives: How AI is Reshaping the Business of Media?, featuring technology leaders from Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and Canal+; the keynote Innovating to Deliver the News of Tomorrow by Alex Charalambides, Senior Vice President and CTO of CNN; and Case Studies: Applying AI: Predictive, Generative or Agentic?, with speakers from Respeecher, Bertelsmann and ITN.
Another keynote will examine how content distribution and audience engagement are evolving, with Mahesh Bhalerao, Regional Director of Product Partnerships at YouTube, discussing how broadcasters and digital platforms can collaborate to expand their reach and drive growth.
The programme will also explore the evolution of audiovisual production in the streaming era. Anna Mallett, Vice President of Production at Netflix, will discuss the impact of international collaboration, virtual production, cloud-based post-production and AI-assisted workflows.
Live sports, creators and brands reshape the audiovisual market
Live sports will be another major focus of the conference, reflecting its role as one of the most demanding and innovative areas of the audiovisual industry. Sessions featuring representatives from FIFA, Liga Portugal, OBS, UEFA and the Women's Super League (WSL) will explore the evolution of live sports production, artificial intelligence, data, fan engagement, media rights and content distribution, at a time when audiences increasingly expect personalised, seamless and real-time experiences across every platform.
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of OBS and panellist in Live Sports at Scale: Redefining the Art of the Possible, said: "The discussions at IBC help connect strategic trends with practical implementation and transform emerging ideas into industry progress, ultimately creating better experiences for billions of sports fans around the world".
The programme will also examine how the creator economy, social platforms and brands are becoming central to the future of media. Evan Shapiro, known as the Media Cartographer, will present The Creator Economy Rules before moderating a panel featuring representatives from BBC Studios Digital Brands, Snap, Tubi, Sidemen Entertainment and Meta, discussing the impact of creators on traditional media and whether they are becoming the new media elite.
Another session, Brands as Media: Reinventing the Relationship between Content and Advertising, will bring together representatives from Banijay, Vice Media Group, Vinted and M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment Europe to examine how brands are redefining content, advertising, culture and audience communities.
The programme will also include Too Big to Compete? Media Consolidation in 2026, presented by Claire Enders CBE, founder and CEO of Enders Analysis, focusing on how media companies are turning to consolidation, partnerships, acquisitions and divestments to compete in the marketplace.
Artificial intelligence, social platforms and audience fragmentation are shaking the foundations of premium entertainment and raising questions about its future. However, the broadcasting ecosystem has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to adapt and innovate in response to technological change. This global event comes at a pivotal moment for the industry, said Enders.
Trust, content discovery and the future of audiovisual infrastructure
IBC2026 will also address the most pressing strategic and technological issues facing media companies. Featured sessions include Television’s Great Rewiring: Strategy, Policy and Audience Enjoyment in the All-IP Era and Choice, Curation and Context? What do Audiences Want, from Where and How?, with speakers from Samsung TV Plus, ITV and Warner Bros. Discovery discussing how to improve content discovery, editorial curation and audience engagement.
On Sunday, the session Security, Authenticity and Provenance: How Can We Trust the Content We Have Now and in the Future? will feature representatives from LaLiga, Globo and Google, while Technology Fit for the New Era of Broadcasting will bring together speakers from the EBU, JioStar and Crunchyroll.
The conference will also host the IBC Technical Papers Programme, presenting peer-reviewed research that this year expands its scope to include technology policy issues.
Sessions will cover AI-driven production, encoding, content trust and provenance, XR and multiview technologies, the future of television distribution, the evolution of audiovisual infrastructure, AI-powered indexing and other key topics.
