IBC2025 Accelerators Drive Telecoms Media Innovation

IBC2025 shines a spotlight on collaborative breakthroughs through its Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. For the telecommunications industry, the programme continues to showcase how innovation in media networks increasingly depends on resilient, scalable and intelligent connectivity.

Mark Smith, Head of the IBC Accelerator Programme & Chair of the IBC Council, stated: “The IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme brings together buyers and sellers of media and entertainment technology to collaborate on fast-track, solution-focused projects.

"It addresses pressing issues like AI, connectivity, sustainability, and content provenance through open and collaborative development.

"The true value lies in uniting those facing industry challenges with those creating solutions, fostering an environment where innovation thrives.”

Participating champions and contributors represent some of the biggest names in broadcasting, telecoms and technology. BBC, ITV, BT Media & Broadcast, Channel 4, Bouygues Telecom, Comcast, EBU, Globo, Orange, RTÉ, Verizon Business, France Télévisions, Google Cloud, Appear, Zixi, Accedo, Haivision and Eutelsat are among the organisations driving proofs of concept (POCs).

Their involvement underlines how telecoms and media are converging into a single ecosystem where bandwidth, low‑latency performance, energy efficiency and intelligent orchestration provide strategic advantage.

Sustainability and smarter streaming

Of growing importance to media and telecommunications alike is sustainability. ECOFLOW II is addressing the carbon footprint of streaming by building methods to accurately measure, report and optimise the energy used across the digital content supply chain.

The project’s focus is not only on efficient distribution but also on creating scenario models for reducing energy demand in broadcast and telecom infrastructure.

With video overwhelmingly responsible for network load, the research resonates deeply with network operators under pressure to balance customer growth and environmental responsibility.

Cloud control for live streaming

The Master Control Cloud project illustrates the ongoing shift from fixed infrastructure to cloud‑first workflows. Built around a modular, multi‑vendor architecture, its goal is to provide routing and monitoring for live content entirely in the cloud while incorporating web‑based talkback.

For telecom operators, it represents a natural partnership: cloud networking, hybrid models and resilient connectivity remain essential to ensuring that global live distribution retains broadcast‑grade reliability.

Media exchange and ultra‑low latency streaming

Proof of concepts developed through Live Media Exchange (LMX) are enabling broadcasters to securely and efficiently share live video and audio using technologies adapted from data centre environments. The evolution offers telcos new avenues to provide secure, high‑bandwidth connectivity for cross‑border data flows.

Equally significant is the Ultra‑Low Latency Streaming at Scale project, which creates an open architecture for sub‑two‑second delivery of video to millions of viewers simultaneously.

With champions including Comcast, BT Media & Broadcast  and Bouygues Telecom, the project reinforces how telecom infrastructure must evolve to support internet‑based television without compromising speed or quality.

Private 5G: From Land to Sea to Sky

Among the most eye‑catching innovations is the Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky project, which has tested network cells mounted on drones and ultralight aircraft to support live sports event coverage. These small‑cell deployments enable wireless delivery of HD video, audio and sensor data in scenarios where traditional network infrastructure is unfeasible.

For telecom industry leaders, the message is clear: mobile private networks must evolve beyond fixed‑venue deployments. Dynamic, mobile architectures for events and pop‑up coverage represent both a technical frontier and a significant commercial opportunity.

Strengthening trust with provenance

As the authenticity of online content remains a critical issue, the Stamping Your Content project is tackling provenance through the adoption of C2PA standards.

With champions including AP, BBC, EBU, Comcast and ITV, the initiative has been producing open‑source tools to lower barriers to adoption of content credentials.

For telecom networks that distribute the content, securing provenance metadata transport will become a key value proposition, ensuring trust is preserved across digital delivery chains.

AI‑driven production workflows

Artificial intelligence represents multiple accelerators at IBC2025. The Framework for Generative AI project develops tools to produce photorealistic video tailored for broadcasters and creative teams, under structured, ethical and inclusive guidelines.

For the telecom sector, these projects translate into exponentially increased demand for network performance and orchestration, especially for collaborative creative processes in live environments.

At the same time, the AI Agent Assistants for Live Production project is experimenting with AI‑augmented control rooms, where specialised assistants manage workflows in live television production.

For telecoms, this highlights how latency‑sensitive orchestration can no longer be confined to broadcast studios but must extend across distributed networks.

Sports innovation incubator

Closing the circle between sports and fan engagement, Changing the Game… Again, the incubator is developing real-time, AI-powered solutions for hyper-personalised highlights and interactive experiences. With Verizon Business among its champions, this incubator reinforces the central role of network technology in enabling personalisation at scale, where fans engage with live productions the way they want, across devices and environments.

A telecoms perspective on the accelerator programme

The IBC Accelerator Programme once more demonstrates that the future of media is fundamentally a future of connectivity. From carbon‑aware streaming to private 5G in the sky, from provenance metadata to AI‑enabled production workflows, the breadth of experimentation reflects the interdependence of telecoms and broadcasting.

As the media ecosystem shifts towards cloud-enabled, IP-delivered and AI-supported workflows, telcos stand positioned not simply as enablers but as co-architects of the next generation of media experiences.