With innovation continuing apace across the media and entertainment industry, visitors to IBC2025 won’t want to miss the all-new Future Tech hub located in Hall 14.
Pioneering technologies including AI, virtual production, interactive media, sustainable technology, and augmented reality will all take centre stage in the hub, which will also feature visionary showcases, hands-on demos, and thought leadership.
.jpg)
The Future Tech Stage, sponsored by Microsoft, will offer a packed programme of keynotes, panels and live demos from industry pioneers previewing the technologies set to transform content creation and delivery. It will also host the IBC Accelerator Programme proofs of concept. These can be explored further in the Accelerator Innovation Zone, where visitors can get hands-on with the nine cutting-edge projects aiming to fast-track solutions to some of the industry’s toughest practical challenges.
In addition, the AWS & NVIDIA Innovation Stage will host a full programme of content.
On Saturday and Sunday, the IBC Hackfest x Google Cloud will take place, welcoming digital innovators, tech entrepreneurs, software developers, creatives and engineers as they tackle real M&E challenges using Gemini AI and more. Teams will be working with content from Formula E to develop real-life sports use cases alongside experts from Google Cloud to innovate and create with AI. No experience is necessary and sessions are free to attend.
Google has also created the AI Penalty Challenge for the Future Tech hub. This immersive interactive football-fan experience employs more than 15 integrated technologies to showcase AI-driven decision-making in sports performance.
Future Tech is also hosting the second IBC Talent Programme, which returns on 12 September. Supported by partners such as Rise, Rise Academy, Host Broadcasting Services, Gals N Gear, and Media Entertainment Talent Manifesto, the programme will present a wide range of sessions and speakers covering everything from mentoring and career pathways to practical skills, diversity and inclusion.
Of course, visitors will also be able to get hands-on with the very latest in emerging technology. Discover how AI is moving from the conceptual to the practical, spanning live production automation, generative content tools, and new uses just being introduced, or delve into the virtual world of LED backdrops, augmented reality and real-time VFX.
Highlights include collaborative captioning platform CaptionHub, which is launching its new real-time subtitling and media localisation suite; and captioning specialist Videolinq, which is demonstrating its generative artificial intelligence-based technology that creates CEA-708 compliant subtitles embedded directly into RTMP and SRT video streams. In addition, design and visualisation technology specialist Chaos is showcasing Chaos Arena, its virtual production offer that is said to provide real-time ray-tracing for in-camera visual effects on virtual production stages; and AI dubbing specialist Dubformer is highlighting a new version of its Emotion Transfer model that it says is engineered to bring the full intensity of sports live streaming into AI-generated dubbing.
Other exhibitors include Dell, Microsoft, Mo-Sys, 3Play, Deepdub, Files.com, Monks, Tata Communications, Huawei, Veritone, Ultra HD Forum and more.
To find out more and to register for IBC2025, visit show.ibc.org.
Netflix forecast to reach 400 million subscribers by 2031
Netflix is forecast to reach nearly 400 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2031, reinforcing its position as the world’s leading subscription streaming platform despite growing consolidation across the industry.
Early Freeview switch-off would be “unprecedented gamble” for UK TV
Switching off Freeview in the 2030s would be far more complex, costly, and risky than the UK’s digital TV switchover, according to a report by Christy Swords, the former Director of Change at ITV Broadcasting, who was involved in the original process.
RTS names Chair of Student Television Awards at annual ceremony
At the annual awards ceremony, the Royal Television Society (RTS) welcomed Rhuanedd Richards as Chair of the Student Television Awards.
.jpg)
Sony invests seven figures in AI copyright protection startup
The Sony Innovation Fund has invested in Midnight Labs to protect IP from mass piracy, deepfakes, and AI-generated infringement in the US and Japanese markets.
CMA formally begins investigating Paramount's $110bn WBD merger
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the commencement notice for its investigation of Paramount Skydance’s anticipated acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), marking the official beginning of the inquiry.
