One of the most attended conferences at IBC — connected media applications, blending technology and commercial perspectives through presentations and round tables. Co-organized by 5G-MAG and IEEE BTS.
The Future Media Townhall is back for 2026, focusing on the latest developments and implementation of connected media applications, from both the technology and commercial perspectives. The event combines presentations and a round table discussion, bringing together industry experts to share insights and discuss the current status, opportunities and challenges in the field.
2026 Programme
Introduction by Samina Husain (IEEE BTS)
Moderator: Daniel Silhavy (Fraunhofer FOKUS). Confirmed speakers: Valentijn Siebrands (Unified Streaming), Will Law (Akamai), Phil Layton (BBC R&D).
Moderator: Frédéric Gabin (Dolby, 5G-MAG Chair). Confirmed speakers: Michael Stattmann (Castlabs), Saba Ahsan (Nokia), Thierry Fautier (The Media League).
Introduced by Jordi J. Gimenez (5G-MAG).
Moderator: Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm). Confirmed speakers: Julien Lemotheux (Orange), Yan Ye (Alibaba Group U.S), Mickaël Raulet (ATEME).
Moderator: Jordi J. Gimenez (5G-MAG). Confirmed speakers so far: Jerome Andres (5G Broadcast Business Strategy TF), Johann Mika (Big Blue Marble). More to be announced.Every session closes with Q&A from the audience.
At 10:00 — The Intro: Welcome
Introduction by Samina Husain (IEEE BTS).
At 10:00 — Session 1, Media Delivery: Scaling Media Services
Next steps in media delivery. Moderator: Daniel Silhavy (Fraunhofer FOKUS).
Confirmed speakers: Valentijn Siebrands (Streaming Solution Manager, Unified Streaming) — media technology in the rise of streaming; Will Law (Chief Architect - Cloud Technology Group, Akamai) — streaming, scalability, MoQ and more; Phil Layton (Head of Applied Research, BBC R&D) — the shift to all-IP TV distribution in the UK.
At 10:45 — Session 2, New Tech: AI in Media and Future Networks
Towards autonomous workflows? Moderator: Frédéric Gabin (Dolby, 5G-MAG Chair).
Confirmed speakers: Michael Stattmann (CEO, Castlabs) — content provenance, authenticity and C2PA; Saba Ahsan (Principal Research Lead, Nokia) — future networks in the age of 6G and AI; Thierry Fautier (Lead Business Strategist, The Media League) — "The Missing Layer: Why AI alone won't deliver autonomous media workflows".
At 11:30 — Session Break: Paper and Demo Pitches at IBC
Introduced by Jordi J. Gimenez (5G-MAG). Speakers: shortly confirmed.
At 11:45 — Session 3, Video Codecs: Next-G Video Codecs
Video codecs towards 2030. Moderator: Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm).
Confirmed speakers: Julien Lemotheux (Senior Standardization Manager, Orange), Yan Ye (Distinguished Scientist, Alibaba Group U.S) and Mickaël Raulet (CTO, ATEME) — insights on next-generation video codecs.
At 12:30 — Session 4, Wrap-Up: Fresh Updates
Moderator: Jordi J. Gimenez (5G-MAG).
Confirmed speakers so far: Jerome Andres (on behalf of the 5G Broadcast Business Strategy TF) — rolling out 5G Broadcast in France; Johann Mika (Chief Innovation Officer, Big Blue Marble) — fresh updates on next-gen media tech for broadcasters. More panelists to be announced.
2025 Programme (Recap)
The Future Media Townhall took place on Saturday, 13 September 2025 at IBC — Meeting Room E.102, co-organized by IEEE BTS and 5G-MAG. Slides are available from the recap posts below.
FMT#1: Towards the on-line-only future of media delivery
FMT#2: Enabling the immersive media experience for all
FMT#3: 5G Broadcast - ready for launch?
5G-MAG Members' Demos and Papers shine at the FMTA range of topics — the transition to online-only delivery, streaming tech, non-terrestrial networks, immersive media, XR and immersive story-telling — were covered, together with a panel discussion on 5G Broadcast with insights from stakeholders with concrete launch plans.
At 10:00 — Insights from the industry, with Q&A
Introduction by Maurizio Murroni (IEEE BTS). Session Chair: Emily Dubs (DVB).
The Future of Media Distribution: Transiting to online and streaming — with Tim Pullen (BBC), Will Law (Akamai Technologies), Joel Grotz (SES) and Glenn Deen (Comcast).
The Future of Media Experiences: XR for Sports and Entertainment, and 6G — with Eddie Drake (The Walt Disney Studios), José Somolinos (Accedo), Frédéric Plourde (Collabora & The Khronos Group), Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm) and Gilles Teniou (3GPP SA4 Chair).
At 12:00 — Short break with 5G-MAG demos & paper pitches
At 12:15 — Panel discussion: 5G Broadcast, ready for launch?
With Mohamed Aziz Taga (Rohde & Schwarz), Markus Schneider (Media Broadcast), Johann Mika (Big Blue Marble) and Aytac Biber (Qualcomm).
At the end of the event, attendees joined the 5G-MAG Meet, Greet (& Eat) at Stand 10.D21.
Gallery
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