What will the audiovisual experience be like in an increasingly multi-platform world? The 4K HDR Summit 2026 will examine the key aspects of the new television landscape

• The 12th edition, to be held in Seville on 2, 3 and 4 December, will examine the transformation of audiovisual content, digital platforms and new viewing habits, alongside challenges such as accessibility and the adaptation of productions to an increasingly multi-platform ecosystem.

The relationship between content, technology and viewers is entering a new phase. Television now coexists with streaming, on-demand viewing, connected devices and new forms of creation and distribution, forcing us to rethink how content is produced, delivered and discovered. The 12th edition of the 4K HDR Summit will address this transformation from different perspectives, analysing the evolution of audiovisual offerings, new narratives, adaptation to multiple screens and the need to develop experiences that are increasingly flexible, personalised, accessible and inclusive.

One of the main highlights will come from the United States with Michael Hoog and Tyler Hoog, from Hoog & Associates, who will lead the session ‘Beyond Compliance: Accessibility in the 4K Era’. Their presentation will analyse how new accessibility requirements are extending their scope to cover audiovisual services, televisions, set-top boxes, interfaces, programme guides and digital platforms, both in Europe and the United States.

The starting point reflects the scale of the challenge: around 1,300 million people – approximately 16 per cent of the world’s population – currently live with a significant disability. However, the proposal to be presented in Seville will go beyond mere regulatory compliance. Hoog & Associates will present accessibility as an opportunity to innovate, broaden audiences and enhance the audiovisual experience for all viewers— —with solutions such as subtitling, the use of which has extended far beyond its original target audience.

The speakers will also outline five practical proposals for improving accessibility within the UHD ecosystem, the full details of which will be revealed during the 4K HDR Summit.

New audiences for a television that no longer exists on a single screen

Accessibility will form part of a wider debate on how audiovisual content and services are evolving. RTVE, RTVA, RTP and 3Cat will offer different perspectives on a television landscape that increasingly coexists with digital services, on-demand consumption and new ways of engaging with its audiences.

The transformation goes beyond simply moving the traditional signal to the internet. The challenge will be to develop experiences capable of functioning across linear television, digital platforms, connected devices and on-demand environments, whilst maintaining the quality of the content and, at the same time, making it accessible to an increasingly diverse audience.

RTVE’s exhibition area during the 11th edition of the 4K HDR Summit held in Seville in November 2025.

In this context, 3Cat’s presence will also allow us to incorporate the vision of a broadcaster that continues to evolve its audiovisual offering and explore new ways of connecting content, technology and viewers.

Content capable of travelling across screens and markets

The evolution of the audiovisual experience will also have an aspect directly linked to creativity and new forms of storytelling. The programme for the 12th edition will feature Olivier Chiabodo, CEO of The Explorers; Sumant Bahl, Managing Director of Travelxp for Europe and Africa; and Paula Fortunato, from Azimute Tranquilo, who will offer different perspectives on new formats, international production and the need to create content designed to adapt to different audiences and platforms.

A transformation that is also changing the way production is conceived from the outset. Content is no longer necessarily designed for a single channel or screen: television, streaming, social media, vertical formats and on-demand viewing are all part of an ecosystem in which the viewer’s experience will need to be increasingly flexible, personalised and accessible.

The 12th edition of the 4K HDR Summit will take place on 2 and 3 December as an in-person event at the Ibercaja Auditorio Cartuja – managed by Yventu – at Sevilla TechPark, and on 4 December in a virtual format, providing three days of in-depth analysis on how technology and content will continue to transform television.

In this evolution, accessibility will take on an increasingly prominent role: not merely as a regulatory obligation, but as an opportunity to design better audiovisual experiences and ensure that innovation truly reaches all viewers.

The 4K HDR Summit 2026 is organised by Medina Media Events and is supported by RTVE, SES, RTVA, Ateme, Datos Media, Axión, Fraunhofer, AJA, Haier, Aicox, Alfalite, Creative Europe, Huawei, Telestream, BTESA, Pixop and Appear, Eutelsat, LiveU, Ebantic and Fujifilm, ADA, Rohde & Schwarz, Cellnex, MoMe, Netgear, Canon, Techex, VSN, 3Cat, Sapec, Hispasat, AEQ and Avixa, amongst others.