Welcome to Playback Pioneers 2026
Celebrating the people, companies & communities defining tomorrow’s playback experiences.
This isn’t just a list of names. It’s a platform for the innovators who are reshaping how the world watches, engages with, and experiences content. From AI-driven personalisation to next-gen infrastructure, cutting-edge UX, monetisation models, and inclusive innovation. Playback Pioneers shines a light on the leaders who are setting the pace. More importantly, it’s about connection. Playback Pioneers has already sparked collaborations, solved real business challenges, and opened doors for those involved. It’s grown into a community that now stretches beyond the pages of this report, with conversations continuing through our podcast and at The Media & Entertainment Mixer events in Bristol, London, and Amsterdam.
Didn’t catch last year’s edition? Take a look at the 2025 report here.
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What’s inside
From the communities creating change to the people building what’s next, here’s how we’ve mapped the Playback Pioneers shaping the industry.
Powered by 5V Video
5V Video helps some of the world’s leading end users, operators, and vendors grow and scale the technical teams that power the video industry. From streaming platforms to technology providers, we work at the heart of the ecosystem, helping businesses build the talent they need to deliver next-gen viewing experiences. But we don’t just service the industry, we’re embedded within it. Playback Pioneers was born out of the conversations we have every day with innovators, creators, and technical leaders.
It’s our way of spotlighting the people making a real impact, sparking ideas, and setting the pace for the future. Beyond recruitment, we also drive and support initiatives that bring the industry together.
From Playback Pioneers and the Playback Pioneers Podcast to The Media & Entertainment Mixer event series in Bristol, London, Lisbon and Amsterdam, 5V Video is committed to creating spaces where collaboration, innovation, and community can thrive. As a Preferred Plus Partner of RDK, we align ourselves with organisations that share our forward momentum. Our work, and this report, is about more than business growth. It’s about celebrating the people and projects shaping where video goes next.
We believe that by sharing these insights, we can inspire further innovation and contribute to moving the industry forward together.
Find out more about us by clicking here.
5V Media produces the Playback Pioneers Report as part of our mission to spotlight the innovation shaping the media and entertainment industry. More than just research, it’s storytelling – showcasing the people, projects, and ideas pushing the industry forward.
At 5V Media, we create initiatives like Playback Pioneers and The Media & Entertainment Mixer to bring the community together in meaningful ways. Whether through in-depth reports, editorial campaigns, or live events, our focus is always on amplifying innovation and making sure the stories that matter get seen and heard.
If you’d like to explore how you or your brand can get involved in our initiatives, book a call with us here!!
The Media & Entertainment Mixer
The report looks at where the media and entertainment industry is heading. The Media & Entertainment Mixer is where those conversations continue in person.
Our live event series brings together the people shaping the future of media, streaming and entertainment for genuine conversations, new connections and ideas worth taking beyond the room.
From Bristol and London to Amsterdam and Lisbon, the Mixer has grown into a city-by-city community built around one simple idea: networking should feel human. No sales pitches, no scripted panels and no awkward lanyard networking, just the people building what comes next.
Want to be part of the next conversation?
