In our latest blog, Laura Rognoni unpacks the myth of Broadcast TV’s decline and shows how OpenTV ENTera is helping broadcasters and sports rights holders turn digital disruption into opportunity.
The narrative that “broadcast TV is dead” continues to be cited against a backdrop of the meteoric rise of streaming giants and the growing dominance of user-generated content platforms like TikTok and YouTube. But is this really the full picture?
Recent research from the BBC says otherwise. In the UK in 2025, 87% of people aged four and above still tuned in to traditional broadcasters each month, spending an average of 137 minutes a day watching linear TV. In contrast, 78% used streaming services – but only for about 40 minutes a day. That’s more than three times as much time spent with traditional broadcasters.
So why is the death of TV such a persistent myth? It’s simple: people are confusing transformation with extinction. Broadcast TV is calling for a serious evolution of its offering. And with the right tools, it can not only survive, but it can thrive, against the inevitable move toward streaming and user-generated content.
Broadcast’s Biggest Opportunity Is Still Ahead
In a world where entertainment options have exploded, from video games and streaming apps to TikTok clips and AI-generated content, it’s remarkable how strong traditional TV has remained. Despite the competition, television continues to be one of the top time-consuming media habits in people’s daily lives, as proven by recent research.
Mainly, this is because lean-back viewing still matters. People still want to sit down with high-quality content on a big screen, especially when it comes to live sports, trusted news, and culturally significant programming, areas where broadcasters and sports streamers excel. Research house Omdia confirms that PayTV is still growing in several regions, particularly in EMEA. Ofcom’s Media Nations UK 2026 reinforces this trend, reporting that broadcaster content still accounts for 53% of all in-home viewing despite the continued growth of streaming services. The opportunity isn’t disappearing audiences; it’s evolving how those audiences are engaged across linear and digital platforms.
Broadcasters are still capturing audiences, but the cracks are showing, particularly in the ability to monetize content, personalize user experiences, and compete with the agility of digital-first platforms. That challenge is becoming increasingly urgent. While the overall UK commercial TV and online video market grew by 7% in 2025, commercial broadcaster revenues declined and linear TV advertising revenue fell by 10%, highlighting that value is shifting toward digital, connected and ad-supported viewing experiences rather than away from television itself. The cracks are also showing in the sports streaming world. Fans value the shared experience of live events, especially on the big screen. But fragmented apps, poor personalization, and lackluster monetization strategies are leaving rights holders exposed.
Don’t Miss the Shot: Why Broadcasters Are Turning to OpenTV ENTera
OpenTV ENTera is NAGRAVISION’s next-generation streaming platform, built to help broadcasters thrive in a digital-first world. It enables broadcasters to own the viewer relationship, maintaining complete control over their brand, editorial experience, audience data and commercial strategy.
OpenTV ENTera also extends the value of traditional broadcast by bringing together live and on-demand content within a unified experience that feels intuitive across every screen. Rather than simply delivering streams, it creates richer viewing journeys through intelligent content discovery, AI-driven personalization and seamless navigation, helping viewers find more of what they love while giving broadcasters the insight needed to better understand and engage their audiences.
This direct relationship with viewers is where the real opportunity lies. Reach alone is no longer enough. By building first-party audience relationships through registration, understanding viewer behaviours and transforming those insights into more relevant experiences, broadcasters can strengthen audience loyalty while unlocking new commercial opportunities. Whether through personalized recommendations, targeted advertising, sponsorship, FAST channels, subscription services or hybrid monetization models, OpenTV ENTera helps broadcasters turn reach into real connection—driving engagement, sustainable revenue and long-term audience value while preserving complete editorial control.
Already proven at scale with leading telcos and Pay TV operators around the world, OpenTV ENTera is equally well suited to the unique challenges faced by broadcasters. Built on a cloud-native architecture running on AWS, it combines low-latency live streaming with the resilience needed to support major live events, whether that’s national news coverage, premium sports or large-scale entertainment broadcasts. As audiences grow and viewing habits evolve, the platform scales effortlessly without compromising performance or reliability.
What truly differentiates OpenTV ENTera is its pre-integrated partner ecosystem. Rather than asking broadcasters to piece together multiple best-of-breed technologies, the platform brings together a carefully curated network of technology partners optimized to work as one solution. For example, AI-powered personalization from XroadMedia and seamless service aggregation through Bango accelerate deployment, simplify operations and enable continuous innovation. This collaborative approach is also demonstrated with UK broadcaster Narrative Entertainment, where NAGRAVISION is working alongside Sofia Digital to deliver a modern user experience supported by advanced personalization, audience management and scalable platform services.
OpenTV ENTera is already helping broadcasters modernize at speed. Greece’s national broadcaster, ERT, successfully deployed OpenTV ENTera in less than six months, creating a modern streaming platform capable of supporting more than half a million viewers during major live events. More recently, Narrative Entertainment migrated to the platform in under seven months, introducing personalized targeted advertising and a new registration service that strengthens first-party audience relationships while increasing advertising value. These projects demonstrate that digital transformation doesn’t need to be lengthy or disruptive, it can be delivered quickly while creating a platform that’s ready for the future.
The shift from broadcast to digital is undeniable, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of what broadcasters do best. Trusted journalism, live sport, national events and local storytelling remain some of the most valuable forms of content in the world. The challenge isn’t preserving those strengths—it’s extending them into personalized, data-driven viewing experiences that keep audiences engaged long after the live event has ended. This approach has powered Eurovision Sport, a division of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). In 2024, they turned to NAGRAVISION to build a modern, secure and scalable platform for live and on-demand sports streaming, delivering a commercially agile service with faster time-to-market and reduced operational complexity.
TV Isn’t Dead. But it is Getting Smarter.
Traditional TV has weathered decades of disruption (from satellite to digital, from linear to OTT). And through it all, its core appeal has endured: shared storytelling, trusted formats, and the unbeatable power of the big screen. Today’s challenge isn’t about saving broadcast. It’s about equipping broadcasters and sports streamers with the tools they need to succeed in a content-saturated world. So let’s ask the right question. Not “Is TV dying?” but “How can broadcasters turn audience reach into lasting engagement in the age of streaming?”
OpenTV ENTera provides the answer. It enables broadcasters and sports streamers to deliver premium, personalized viewing experiences across every screen while maintaining editorial control, building direct audience relationships and unlocking flexible monetization opportunities.
Interested in seeing OpenTV ENTera in action? You can sign up for a proof of concept via the AWS Marketplace, or contact us. You can also download the solution fact sheet to learn more about NAGRAVISION streaming solutions like OpenTV ENTera or visit us on stand 1.C81 at IBC 2026 in Amsterdam between 11 – 14 September.
