Mark Mayne

With a packed audience, full of senior Google and DAZN employees, the scene was set for a big reveal on the Delta Protocol Accelerator project's ability to shift video transmission from frame-by-frame delivery to scene understanding and semantic intelligence.

IBC’s own video team has been innovating for IBC2026, moving from a traditional video capture setup to an integrated remote-first workflow to capture and deliver session content.

Experts from Nvidia and Dell weighed the merits of localised, open-weight AI models on the Future Tech stage at IBC2026, providing insights into the evolving role of sovereignty, trust, and public service media companies.

Collaboration and innovation are crucial ingredients for establishing a sovereign cloud and AI ecosystem within Europe to reduce dependency on US hyperscalers, concluded an SMPTE panel at IBC2026.  

As project names go, "Delta Protocol" might sound dramatic, more suited to an Andy McNab novel than a transformational technology initiative, but the reality is rather different. This Accelerator has suitably lofty aims, setting out to do no less than redefine video transmission by shifting from frame-by-frame delivery to scene understanding and semantic intelligence.

At IBC2026, Adam Jones, Director, Production Technology, Innovation, Innovative Dreams, dug into the details of integrating generative AI and virtual production into his filmmaking pipeline with Sean Wallitsch, Senior Visual Compute Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services. 

A penultimate presentation on Day 2 in CR1 saw Simon Clarke, Director, Digital, Bluey, BBC Studios Digital Brands, present: “Fandom First: How are alliances expanding reach and retention?". Addressing the IBC2026 audience, Clarke unveiled some surprising stats, as well as a fascinating look under the hood of the much-loved children’s character.

Under heavy security presence, controversial ‘AI superstar’ Tilly Norwood made her IBC debut in what was claimed to be her first live interview. Taking questions from the IBC audience, the “AI A-lister" offered up insights into "her" guardrails and parameters before creator Eline van der Velden, Founder, CEO, Particle6, progressed the conversation by framing the debate.

Kicking off in the Showcase Theatre on Friday morning, a fast-paced discussion titled “AI-native media operations: Rethinking the content supply chain for growth” saw a four-man panel, moderated by Daniel Farrell, Managing Director, Communications, Media Lead, UKand Ireland, Accenture, take on the complexities of the content supply chain today and how to extract additional value in a fast-paced industry.

From ongoing trials to Accelerator project reveals, executives from Google and DAZN gathered at an IBC2026 conference session to discuss how the latest AI technologies will transform how sports content is consumed, distributed, and monetised.