Industry

Mediaset Italy took part in the latest edition of StreamTV, held in Lisbon from April 13 to 15, marking the event’s first-ever European edition. The conference brought together nearly 1,000 professionals from 38 countries, spanning the digital, telecom and content sectors.
Representing Mediaset were Serena Petrecca and Francesca Catà, who attended the event to gain insight into the evolving dynamics of the digital media landscape and to identify emerging opportunities for collaboration.
According to Petrecca and Catà, StreamTV exceeded expectations, offering a dense program of workshops and panels featuring industry executives, analysts, digital creators and major broadcasters. The discussions focused on key areas such as content strategies, advertising models, platform evolution and technological innovation.

Mediaset’s participation reflects a broader strategic intent to closely monitor how the industry is shifting—particularly in terms of content offering, user consumption patterns, interface design, data tracking and advertising ecosystems: "The event also served as a valuable networking platform - confirmed Catà- enabling the company to both strengthen existing partnerships and establish new connections.
Among the central themes was the ongoing transformation of free-to-air television in response to digital consumption models. The debate is no longer framed as a direct competition between platforms like Netflix and traditional broadcasters. Instead, the focus has shifted towards user experience: simplifying access to content, aggregating services, creating bundled offerings and improving content discovery. In this context, smart TVs and telecom operators are expected to play an increasingly pivotal role".

FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels emerged as one of the most discussed growth areas, particularly in Europe. This model is seen as an effective way to reach younger, price-sensitive audiences who are less inclined toward pay-TV subscriptions but still value a lean-back, linear viewing experience. Notably, FAST platforms are increasingly positioning themselves as credible alternatives to traditional linear broadcasters, offering more robust content lineups and highly localized programming. As such, FAST is evolving into a sustainable, long-term business model.

At the same time, traditional linear television continues to lose traction among younger demographics, while maintaining strong relevance in specific genres such as live sports, news, major events and older audiences.
The event also highlighted structural differences between the US and European markets. While the US benefits from a more unified ecosystem, Europe remains highly fragmented due to linguistic, rights-related and market-specific complexities. This fragmentation underscores the importance of effective localization strategies in both content and distribution.

Among the standout case studies was a session moderated by media analyst Evan Shapiro, featuring YouTube’s Vice President Pedro Pina, French broadcaster TF1, and Gaspard G, a young and highly influential news-focused YouTuber. The discussion emphasized the growing necessity of synergy between traditional television and social media platforms, with broadcasters increasingly adopting a creator-driven mindset to engage audiences on platforms like YouTube.
On the technology front, significant attention was given to the competitive landscape of connected TV operating systems in Europe. As CTV interfaces become the primary gateway for television consumption, the role of OS providers as gatekeepers is becoming increasingly central. The event also showcased a range of technological solutions, including AI-driven dubbing, real-time subtitling, advanced user interface design and data analytics tools.

Overall, StreamTV Lisbon provided a comprehensive overview of an industry in transition, where convergence between traditional broadcasting, digital platforms and technology is redefining both content strategies and business models.