Five years ago this week…
Cisco joined Qwilt’s $70 million Series E in 2021, taking total funding to $134 million. Faultline pondered whether an acquisition to bring Qwilt’s open caching technology under Cisco’s roof was plausible, though we warned it would risk alienating the operators and content owners whose cooperation made it work.
The Cisco partnership remains active, but Qwilt’s growth story hit a bump in 2025, exploring M&A options after layoffs and cost-cutting. Five years on, Qwilt has built the global footprint it promised—2,196 edge nodes, 150+ Tbps capacity—but the challenge is turning that into a sustainable business.
A snapshot of ‘Worth Noting’ items from across the M&E industry this week. Some lucky headlines may be picked up for the full Faultline analysis treatment:
Bending Spoons fed further $330m:
Italian software outfit Bending Spoons has secured another $330 million from Berkshire Hathaway, taking its stake to 4%. Berkshire invested $600 million at the company’s July 2026 IPO. Bending Spoons’ portfolio includes Brightcove, Vimeo, AOL and Evernote.
US warns EU sovereignty could cost $billions:
A study commissioned by CCIA Europe, whose members include Amazon, Google and Meta, estimates that the EU’s proposed Cloud and AI Development Act could cost $134 billion over a decade. The estimate includes $38.7 billion in public-sector costs and a potential $93 billion for private businesses, assuming sovereignty rules extend to 25% of cloud workloads in essential industries.
EPL delivers 2.5 million peak for Sky Sports:
Sky Sports’ opening-weekend of English Premier League coverage peaked at 2.5 million viewers for Newcastle United versus Liverpool, according to Digital i data. The match captured 60% of viewing among men aged 16 to 34. BBC’s Match of the Day attracted 2.2 million viewers on Saturday, including iPlayer viewing.
Peacock launches AI-powered Bravo short-form:
NBCUniversal has launched Your Bravoverse, a personalized vertical-video feed in Peacock’s mobile app featuring clips, interconnected storylines and an AI avatar of Andy Cohen. AI helped analyze more than 5,000 hours of footage and map storylines across Bravo franchises.
Tegna renews ABC agreements with Disney:
Tegna and Disney Entertainment Television have signed a multiyear deal renewing ABC affiliation agreements for all 13 of Tegna’s ABC stations across markets including Dallas, Austin, Sacramento and Jacksonville.
Ateme integrates with Google Gemini Enterprise:
French video compression company Ateme has integrated its sports media platform with Google Cloud Gemini Enterprise to support personalized highlights, recaps, multilingual commentary and social media clips for different audiences and platforms.
Netflix secures 2030 World Cup rights:
Netflix will stream all 104 matches of the 2030 soccer World Cup in Spain and Andorra, alongside daily highlights and analysis. One match per matchday will be free to view in Spain, with a package including every Spain match, both semi-finals and the final also available on a national free-to-air broadcaster.
TDF sale could threaten DTT economics:
French audiovisual association La Filière Audiovisuelle (LaFA) has warned that the proposed sale of TDF’s terrestrial broadcasting business and rising transmission charges could push financially pressured channels off DTT. The association also criticized draft regulatory measures for failing to address broadcasters’ concerns over coverage obligations and costs.
AI-searchable media archive:
Systems integrator Prolane has deployed a 2.5 PB media archive for UAE Pro League, combining Axle AI’s media asset management and AI-powered search with Symply LTO-10 tape, GBLabs storage and Archiware P5 archive management.
AT&T sells Mexican wireless business:
AT&T has agreed to sell AT&T Mexico to Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings for $2 billion in cash at closing, subject to adjustments and additional contractual and contingent benefits. Completion is expected in Q1 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.
YouTube challenges public-service media prominence:
YouTube claims its creative ecosystem contributed €8.4 billion ($9.8 billion) to EU GDP in 2025 and supported more than 220,000 full-time-equivalent jobs. Its report also argues that prominence requirements for public-service media could reduce creators’ visibility and income.
DAZN acquires basketball streamer:
Sports streamer DAZN has acquired Basket.tv, which operates across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay. The service carries around 4,900 matches per season across more than 300 teams, expanding DAZN’s basketball offering and Latin American footprint.
Content verification for live video delivery:
Zixi has integrated TAG Video Systems’ Content Matching technology to verify SCTE-35 advertising markers, restore markers stripped during processing and detect mismatches between redundant feeds before switching errors reach viewers.
Orange uses smartphone tethering backup:
Orange France has launched Reconnexion Flash, powered by SoftAtHome’s Always’ON software, for customers with the latest WiFi 7 Livebox models. During fiber outages, the router can connect to the customer’s smartphone hotspot, keeping household devices online without dedicated backup hardware.
Yospace to monetize Court TV streaming:
Court TV has deployed Yospace’s server-side ad insertion technology following the acquisition of the legal-focused content provider by Law&Crime. The five-week integration supports programmatic addressable advertising, including monetization when viewers start watching during an existing ad break.
Orange launches premium home-cinema:
Orange France has introduced the Décodeur Home Cinema, a Sagemcom-built Android TV box with integrated speakers, Dolby Atmos, 4K, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It is available to Livebox Max customers, with optional Dolby Atmos FlexConnect wireless speakers.
Ligue 1 considers new all-rights auction:
France’s top professional soccer league is reportedly planning a November tender for its 2027–32 domestic rights, potentially offering a single package without a reserve price. The move follows disappointing returns from its own Ligue 1+ streaming service, while Canal+ may prefer a limited selection of matches.
Google developing new streamer:
An updated TV Streamer with a faster chipset, more storage, built-in microphones, presence sensing and additional remote-control shortcuts is apparently in the works at Google R&D. No launch date or pricing has been announced. The current model recently rose to $149 in the US.
Nikon disqualifies AI-assisted microscopy winner:
Nikon has ruled that the winning entry in its Small World in Motion microscopy competition breached its generative AI rules and revised the rankings. Scientists had questioned the video’s authenticity, including its purported depiction of cilia associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
BBC explores AI assistant:
The BBC is preparing audience tests of experimental iPlayer features, including an AI assistant called Iggy, personalized recommendations and a randomized discovery mode dubbed Vegas. The concepts form part of Director-General Matt Brittin’s push for faster product development and measurable digital engagement.
Virtualized broadband platform at Cablenet:
Cyprus operator Cablenet is deploying Harmonic’s cOS virtualized broadband platform across its DOCSIS 3.1+ network, using distributed access architecture and low-power Oyster nodes. The upgrade aims to increase broadband speeds, consolidate infrastructure and improve network monitoring through AI-driven intelligence.
ATSC approves Broadcast-to-Everything:
ATSC has approved a candidate standard for B2X system discovery and signaling, establishing a common way for compatible devices to discover broadcast services. The proposed wider platform could extend broadcasting to connected devices including wearables and remote sensors. Public review runs until the end of June 2027.
Minerva, Agama deepen video observability integration:
Minerva Networks and Agama have expanded their integration, combining Minerva’s AI-powered entertainment platform with Agama’s video observability and analytics. The joint offering aims to identify streaming problems across delivery chains and devices, reducing repair times and protecting viewing quality.
RTVE uses satellite contribution in production:
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has selected Ateme’s Titan Edge platform, supplied through integrator Broad Service, for three transportable production units. The system combines UHD/HD encoding and satellite modulation or reception and decoding in compact appliances, reducing equipment and cabling requirements.