April 20, 2026

14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards to take place on 18-19 November 2026 in Barcelona, Spain

Geneva, 20 April 2026 – The HbbTV Association is pleased to announce that the 14th HbbTV Symposium and Awards will be held on 18-19 November 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. This year’s edition of the connected TV industry’s leading annual summit will take place at the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza, a landmark four-star hotel and conference venue situated directly on Plaça d’Espanya. The event will be co-hosted with 3Cat, Catalonia’s public broadcaster.

The Symposium will follow the established two-day structure. The opening day will present a conference programme with keynotes, presentations and roundtables. A central theme will be HbbTV’s role as a unifying framework in an increasingly fragmented CTV landscape, where broadcasters must navigate a multitude of operating systems and device environments. The agenda will also explore how HbbTV-based audience measurement can enhance traditional panel systems by providing more granular, data-driven and even real-time insights, supporting broadcasters’ need for accurate and scalable analytics. Further sessions will highlight the latest developments in addressable advertising and examine HbbTV’s growing adoption in new markets, with the MENA region and Asian countries now embracing the open standard.

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.

Click here for the PDF version of this press release.