HbbTV Association Announces 14th Symposium and Awards in Barcelona

The HbbTV Association has revealed that the 14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards will take place on 18-19 November 2026 at the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza in Spain. Co-hosted by Catalonia's public broadcaster, 3Cat, the event serves as a critical gathering for the connected TV industry to discuss the evolution of open standards. This year's conference program will tackle the challenges of navigating diverse operating systems, while highlighting HbbTV's capacity for real-time audience analytics and its expanding footprint in the MENA and Asian markets.

The programme will also feature sessions on accessibility, natural-language interfaces powered by AI, and the collaborative potential of HbbTV as a shared framework for broadcasters, technology providers, and manufacturers. Emerging audiovisual experiences will also be explored, including deep personalisation through AI, gaming on connected TV platforms, second screen and XR-enhanced content, and new forms of interactive viewer engagement.

The evening of the first day will feature the prestigious HbbTV Awards ceremony, celebrating outstanding achievements, services, and innovations across the global HbbTV community. The second day of the event will adopt an unconference format, allowing participants to propose topics, lead discussions, and collaborate in an informal and highly interactive environment.

"We are delighted to bring the 14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards to Barcelona, a city renowned for creativity, innovation, and technological ambition. Broadcasters worldwide are navigating a rapidly evolving connected TV landscape marked by fragmentation, new competitors, and shifting viewer habits. HbbTV provides a unifying, broadcaster-friendly framework that enables innovation, protects data ownership, and supports advanced services such as addressable advertising, enriched content, and real-time audience measurement. This year's programme will showcase how collaboration across the ecosystem can unlock new opportunities for all players," said Vincent Grivet, Chair of the HbbTV Association.

Natalia Prats, CTO, 3Cat, added: "We are proud to co-host this year's Symposium in Barcelona. As a public broadcaster committed to public value services like accessibility, linguistic diversity, and technological innovation, we see HbbTV as a powerful enabler of new user experiences. From natural-language interfaces to interactive services and next-generation accessibility features, HbbTV allows us to serve all audiences while strengthening collaboration with industry partners."

The event also offers sponsorship opportunities for companies wishing to promote and exhibit their brand and services to an international, top-level CTV audience. A detailed overview of the available packages can be downloaded here, with a 10% Early Bird discount available until 30 April 2026.

www.hbbtv.org