CANAL+

ARD Mediathek to Release Two New Series in August

ARD announced two new series arriving in its Mediathek in August 2026: the eight-episode international thriller "Hooligans" (Israel/Germany/France) will be available from 14 August, with a same-day linear broadcast on One at 23:00; the six-episode German drama "Selling Sex" will be released in the Mediathek on 28 August with a linear premiere on Das Erste shortly before midnight. "Hooligans" is a co-production involving Artza Productions, Elvie Productions, Place du Marché Productions, KAN, Canal+ and German public broadcasters SWR, NDR and WDR; scripts are by Lee Gilat, Izhar Harlev and Ester Namdar Tamam, directed by Lee Gilat. "Selling Sex" was commissioned by ARD Degeto Film and produced by Mia Wallace Productions in co-production with Senator Film Produktion and Fontana; Miriam Dehne serves as head writer/director and Marie C. König as director and co-writer.

CTV's Next Phase: Connect Video, Data and Commerce

At Cannes Lions, industry speakers argued that Connected TV (CTV) is now an established media channel and the next challenge is integrating video, data, commerce and measurement across screens. Dailymotion framed itself as a video adtech company strengthened by its place within Canal+, while Coty’s Rafael Lopez de Azua said the company will prioritise CTV combined with a data layer and retail media partnerships to target shoppers more effectively. The discussion stressed measurement, creative adaptation by device, AI-enabled creative production, and breaking silos between clients, agencies and platforms to create a joined-up global video strategy that links attention to purchase outcomes.

RTL Ad Alliance Centralizes Austrian Ad Sales with ISS Nautilus

RTL Ad Alliance has engaged Wuppertal-based martech specialist SQL Service to implement its ISS Nautilus platform as the central commercial booking and billing system for the group’s Austrian operations. ISS Nautilus will cover workflows from offer creation and production preparation to invoicing, and will manage master data, price lists, discounts and billing models. The move follows RTL Ad Alliance’s deeper local integration in Austria after IP Österreich joined, and aims to harmonize processes across linear TV and digital video inventories that are currently connected through diverse technical setups and partner ecosystems. SQL Service and RTL Ad Alliance executives framed the deployment as a step to improve operational control and process consistency amid increasing inventory and billing complexity.