Motion Spell's IBC 2026 Report: Disruption, AI, and an Identity Crisis
By Romain Bouqueau, Founder of Motion Spell
After walking the halls of the RAI in Amsterdam, I walked away with a profound sense of contradiction. On one hand, the IBC remains a pilar of the video industry ; on the other, it is clearly grappling with a changing tide that threatens to make it a relic soon.
Here is my breakdown of the trends, the tensions, and the technological shifts observed during this 2026 edition.
The Venue and the Vibe
First, a logistical note: the organization at the RAI has improved significantly since Covid-19. Digital badges and streamlined transport/parking make the experience much smoother, and the food options have improved. However, Amsterdam itself remains a challenging host due to the housing shortages caused by local regulations: a factor that can make the show evitably expensive and redirect attendents to alternative shows.
The atmosphere on the floor was telling. The main exhibition halls felt surprisingly quiet, with aisles that lacked the density we've seen in previous years, from the end of the second day (Saturday) until the end of the show (Monday). In stark contrast, Hall 14 (Innovation) was packed at all times.
If you look at LinkedIn, you’ll see glowing reviews. Don't be fooled. Talking to exhibitors on the ground, the sentiment was often negative, even disillusioned. Many feel the value proposition is shifting, and I suspect we might see a decrease in exhibitor commitment if the ROI doesn't improve.
The "Creator Gap" and the Representativity Problem
There is a growing tension regarding who the IBC actually represents. The current organization is calibrated for an era where Broadcasters were the undisputed kings. The leadership has suggested that the show "tried and failed" to attract Creators, but I find that an easy excuse.
By failing to officially bring major platforms to the table, the IBC has already lost its grip on the current market. Broadcasters are shifting the conversation from "Attention" to "Trust" and "Sovereignty", but they are talking to an echo chamber. IBC needs a more representative pool of actors - including sports premiums, creators, platforms, young talent - to truly understand the flows into and out of our industry.
The AI Revolution: Craft vs. Mass Market
Artificial Intelligence was the undisputed ghost in the machine. It manifested in three distinct ways:
- Polished demoes: we saw vendors using AI to create slicker, highly interactive demos - interactive tabs and embedded videos that make for a much better sales pitch.
- Monetization: companies like France’s MomentLabs are leveraging AI to drive new revenue streams.
- Deep integration: I witnessed a fascinating project (which its creator asked to not name) that uses the massive context windows of LLMs to explore deep industry specifications - a natural evolution of the work seen in ontology demonstrations (linkedin post).
However, AI is also creating a "Product-Tech-Ops" alignment problem. As everyone races to expand their feature sets via AI, the friction between product promises and operational reality is growing. This is a huge opportunity for senior consultants.
At my own company, Motion Spell, we’ve seen this firsthand. We’ve managed to reduce development costs by 30% for existing clients. However, the industry is in a state of flux. I learned that you can't just tell clients to "deal with it": you have to guide them through the transition.
Ultimately, AI is forcing a return to the debate of "Craft vs. Mass Market". Broadcast is definitely a "Craft" market, making IBC sound fake at times with all this AI hype while operations have complexified over the years. At the same time, companies rely on existing models while not developing theirs at most times - a huge competitive mistake in our opinionx.
Analytics, Codecs, and the "BullshitoMeter"
If you want to find the real meat of the show, look at the analytics. There is intense interest (and competition) around QoE, QoS, and CMCD v2. I was particularly impressed by Witbe’s AI demo, which mirrors the work being presented by Dr Louay Bassbouss (Senior Project Manager at Fraunhofer Fokus) in using LLMs to parse massive amounts of textual data.
On the technical side, the debate around IP and patents continues. The value of innovation in codecs is plummeting, making licensing fees a hard sell. We are seeing a shift - whether it's the dominance of HEVC in hardware or the push for AI-driven video codecs for conferencing (like Microsoft MLVC initiatives) - but the industry is still catching up to the economic reality.
One word of caution: The "Bullshit Meter" is off the charts. Between analysts/consultants making wild hypotheses and "ultra-tech" talks that lack logical cohesion, it is becoming harder to find trusted voice in the industry.
Conclusion: The Convergence of Tech and Content
For years, we have treated "Content" and "Distribution" as two separate silos. We say "Content is King," but we often forget that the kingdom is built on Tech.
The danger for traditional broadcasters is treating technology as a commodity. When you treat tech as a commodity, you stop innovating, and you leave the door open for disruption. We see this happening right now: betting companies are outperforming traditional broadcasters because they manage metadata and shoppable video far more effectively, they better know and target their audience, etc..
The lesson of IBC 2026 is clear: Video is technology. If you fail at the tech, you fail at your operations. To survive the next decade, the industry must align its product, its technology, and its operations into a single, cohesive force. That also means embracing novelty and innovation wherever it arises, even when that means "taking risks".
