Content, after all, is king. The topic was discussed at length by executives across Europe at the latest Pay-TV Innovation Forum, the global research programme for senior pay-TV and content executives.
With their insights in mind, what can we expect European viewers to be watching in the future? Where will content come from? And how will operators ensure content reaches the right audience? Here are the five key trends to watch out for in the European pay-TV market:
1. A change in the set-top box
For Dr. Randolph Nikutta, Leader Interactive High End Media at Telekom Innovation Laboratories, part of that content delivery mechanism will remain with the STB, but for how long is debatable: Operator-controlled set-top boxes will stay relevant but they will be complemented more and more by additional options like connected TVs and other connected devices when the customer brings his own device'. We need to be prepared to deliver services to these ever-growing device zoos', which means a streaming-only future.
But he doesn't think that's necessarily a problem for pay-TV operators: This could create significant savings to a pay-TV operator as CAPEX costs of set-top boxes are high. However, content costs still remain the biggest cost.
2. Global content
In the English-speaking world at least, there are signs of foreign-language content growing in popularity.
Wim Ponnet, Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at Endemol Shine Group, says: In the English-speaking world, people were traditionally more averse to watching things with subtitles, but the younger generation is very comfortable with watching foreign language content - think of Narcos, or Dark, the first German series commissioned by Netflix.
3. Steering away from linear
Whatever we'll be watching, it's less likely to be via linear broadcast.
Dr. Nikutta says that customer and market trends show that linear TV is further declining, as fewer people watch live TV.
Customer demands and expectations for content and service experiences are growing, so you have to serve a wider range of use cases and user needs, he continues.
4. Creativity is king
But ultimately, quality content is going to be key.
As Wim Ponnet notes: It is fairly easy to launch an OTT platform and reach a lot of users. To do it at scale and successfully is by no means simple, but ultimately, the content and access are going to make the difference here.
Theres never been a better time to be an intellectual property owner or a creative engine than now , he concludes.
On the subject of creativity, will we soon be able to depend on technologies like Big Data and artificial intelligence for content creation?
Wim Ponnet isn't sold: Content production is still a highly creative process that can't be entirely automated or engineered, and, in my view, it will never be.
Technology will help us in developing story lines and will open new ways of story-telling. But I definitely dont see the age yet where the computer is going to take over and do the whole creative process for us.
5. Recommended viewing
How can operators make sure great content reaches the right audience?
Dr. Nikutta says the recommendation engines approach, a la Netflix, may not prove as effective in the coming years.
We are currently seeing the limits of recommendation engines , he says. The model of you saw that, you might want to see this' is not really improving the user experience anymore when it comes to content choice.
Looking ahead, a lot of different contextual factors will have to be taken into consideration, including mood, needs, standards of living, day of the week, and time of the day. These all come into play with more radical personalisation.
For the European pay-TV industry, it's clear that new priorities are emerging to address important issues surrounding the future of content.
Future success of pay-TV service providers in the EMEA region hinges on their ability to continue providing subscribers with quality content - from gritty foreign language dramas to must-watch unscripted content.
Discover more in our latest summary of the Pay-TV Innovation Forum annual findings and download the free report.
By Simon Trudelle, Senior Director, Product Marketing, NAGRA
Most recent headlines
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inducts 10 Industry Icons During Unforgettable ...
17/12/2025
ESPN to Debut MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats, a New AI-Driven NFL Data-AltCastThe series, powered by Adrenaline TruPlay AI, launches Dec. 22 and runs through ...
17/12/2025
Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games Debut Under the Lights' in Primetime on ...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Audiences Watched Over 103 Billion Minutes of TV on Thanksgiving Day
NFL Games ...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Stars Visit Berklee for Weeklong Celebration Andrew Choi and EJAE, who voiced the film's main characters and contributed to its soundtr...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Inside The Unseen World Of Indian Customs: Netflix Reveals The...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix announces PAPARAZZI KING: the docu series coming to Ne...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Look at Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole Pr...
17/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Welcomes Warner Bros. Discovery Board Recommendation
Business
17 December 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
After Careful Revi...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
The Hao AI Lab research team at the University of California San Diego - at the forefront of pioneering AI model innovation - recently received an NVIDIA DGX B...
17/12/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
Three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System thrusters, supplied by L3Harris Technologies, form the core of Gateway's propulsion system. Pictured i...
16/12/2025
The challenge facing America's defense industrial base is not just about speed - its about rebuilding the foundation that makes speed possible. Our nations ...
16/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/12/2025
SEVILLE, Spain Canal Sur, the public broadcasting service for Andalusia, Spain, has completed a total technology refresh based on Pebble's resilient, softwa...
16/12/2025
NEW YORK Teleprompting hardware provider Telescript International has acquired all software code and intellectual property previously owned by Telescript West. ...
16/12/2025
As cable operators face increased competition from 5G fixed wireless access providers, a new report from Ookla Research finds that T-Mobile is the FWA speed lea...
16/12/2025
Apple has announced a major upgrade to the Apple TV app for device owners outside the Apple ecosystem with news that the Apple TV app for Android now supports G...
16/12/2025
Space42 grows Direct-to-Device partner ecosystem through a Memorandum of Underst...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Emma Appleton, Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson and Jakob Oftebro...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Docu-reality My Korean Boyfriend Gets a Trailer and Premiere D...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
Content, after all, is king. The topic was discussed at length by executives across Europe at the latest Pay-TV Innovation Forum, the global research programme for senior pay-TV and content executives. 
