VIDAA teams with Hisense and Deutsche Telekom for first Operator Smart TV

VIDAA International Holdings B.V. announced on September 5, 2025, the creation of the first true Operator Smart TV through a partnership with Hisense and Deutsche Telekom's MagentaTV service. The collaboration eliminates external hardware requirements by integrating television programming and streaming services directly into smart TV operating systems.

The announcement represents a significant shift in how telecommunications operators deliver television services to customers. Deutsche Telekom's MagentaTV service will launch as a native application on VIDAA-powered Hisense Smart TVs by the end of 2025 in Germany, with full Operator TV integration planned for 2026.

According to Guy Edri, CEO of VIDAA, "With this product, we're delivering on the core promise of Smart TV: seamless access to the best content without complexity. By partnering with Deutsche Telekom and Hisense, we've created a streamlined experience that puts live TV and top streaming services side-by-side in a single interface—no set-top boxes, no juggling remotes, just everything you love one click away."

The timing aligns with the Connected TV advertising market's rapid expansion. Smart TV ads show 73% growth in helping holiday shoppers make decisions, with 59% of connected TV viewers finding television advertisements useful for shopping information, representing a 73% year-over-year increase. Smart TV home screen advertising effectiveness demonstrates even stronger performance, with 25% of CTV viewers finding these advertisements helpful—marking a 105% increase from previous measurements.

Traditional telecommunications operators have relied on external set-top boxes to deliver television services alongside internet connections. The VIDAA solution integrates MagentaTV's functionality directly into the television's operating system, eliminating additional hardware while maintaining access to linear television channels and streaming platforms.

MagentaTV provides access to more than 180 television channels, including over 160 HD channels, combined with MagentaTV+ streaming content. The service includes comprehensive search functionality across both live television and on-demand content, plus features like timeshift, restart, and seven-day replay capabilities.

"Operator TV will be an innovative solution for our customers who would like to use the full MagentaTV experience on their SmartTVs without additional hardware," said Arnim Butzen, SVP TV & Entertainment at Telekom Deutschland. "We are glad to enter into this new partnership with VIDAA and Hisense, bringing our common vision to our customers."

The technical implementation leverages VIDAA's smart TV operating system across Hisense's television hardware. VIDAA operates on more than 30 million connected devices worldwide through partnerships with over 400 brand partners, providing a foundation for global content distribution and local service integration.

Industry developments throughout 2025 demonstrate increasing sophistication in smart TV advertising capabilities. Nexxen renews partnership with VIDAA for North American CTV expansion with $35 million additional investment, reflecting growing demand for Connected TV advertising infrastructure.

For marketing professionals, the Operator Smart TV development creates new opportunities within what eMarketer projects as a $39 billion advertising market. MNTN partners with ZoomInfo to bring B2B advertising to connected TV, demonstrating expansion beyond direct-to-consumer advertising into business-to-business targeting through streaming television platforms.

Hisense's global television market position strengthens the partnership's reach potential. According to Omdia data, Hisense ranked number one globally in televisions with screen sizes of 100 inches and above from 2023 through the first half of 2025. The company operates across more than 160 countries, providing extensive distribution capabilities for the integrated television service model.

The partnership addresses growing consumer preference for simplified entertainment experiences. Rather than managing separate devices and interfaces for television programming and streaming content, the Operator Smart TV consolidates functionality within a single television interface. Users require only internet connectivity to access the complete MagentaTV service offering.

Deutsche Telekom's MagentaTV service operates independently of specific internet connections, enabling customers to access content regardless of their broadband provider. The service supports usage across multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, with the new Operator Smart TV integration providing direct television access without additional hardware requirements.

Connected TV advertising performance metrics continue demonstrating superior engagement compared to traditional television formats. Kargo CTV campaigns achieve 78% higher attention than industry standards, with 15-second advertisements delivering 50% higher eye-on-screen effectiveness than standard CTV benchmarks, while 30-second formats achieved 74% superior performance.

The European expansion timeline extends through 2026, with additional markets beyond Germany planned for the Operator Smart TV rollout. VIDAA's established presence across international markets provides infrastructure for scaling the integrated television service model across multiple telecommunications operators and regional content preferences.

Industry analysis reveals 72% of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025, with Connected TV's share of media budgets projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025. This growth trajectory supports the commercial viability of integrated smart TV platforms that combine traditional television programming with streaming content and advertising capabilities.

Microsoft launches Premium Streaming campaigns including Netflix demonstrates platform expansion into Connected TV advertising with premium inventory access. The development reflects industry consolidation around streaming television platforms as primary content distribution mechanisms.

Smart TV operating systems have become critical infrastructure for content delivery and advertising implementation. The VIDAA platform's integration with Deutsche Telekom's services represents a model for telecommunications operators seeking to eliminate hardware costs while maintaining service differentiation and customer retention capabilities.

The announcement follows significant Connected TV measurement improvements across the industry. Nielsen launches Connected TV intelligence for Australia's advertising market during Q4 2025, providing competitive advertising spend analysis across major streaming platforms including YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and Paramount.

Programmatic advertising capabilities within smart TV environments continue expanding. Wunderkind launches programmatic CTV pause ads with 79% cost reduction demonstrates advanced targeting and optimization technologies becoming available through Connected TV platforms.

For telecommunications operators globally, the VIDAA partnership model provides potential alternatives to traditional set-top box deployment strategies. Hardware elimination reduces customer installation complexity while maintaining revenue opportunities through integrated advertising and content partnerships.

The Connected TV advertising ecosystem's rapid evolution creates opportunities for enhanced targeting and measurement capabilities. Viant integrates with Wurl for scene-level CTV targeting announced on August 19, 2025, enabling precise content alignment through demand-side platform technology.

VIDAA's global platform statistics demonstrate scalability for the Operator Smart TV model. The company's presence across 400 brand partnerships and 30 million connected devices provides foundation infrastructure for telecommunications operator integrations beyond the Deutsche Telekom partnership.

European streaming market competition intensifies as traditional television services transition toward internet-based delivery mechanisms. Movistar Plus+ launches on Titan OS across Philips Smart TVs in Spain demonstrates similar operator integration strategies across regional markets.

The first true Operator Smart TV launch represents technological convergence between telecommunications services and consumer electronics manufacturing. Traditional boundaries between content delivery, device manufacturing, and software platforms continue dissolving as integrated entertainment experiences become market expectations.

Connected TV measurement accuracy improvements support advertiser confidence in smart TV platforms. Technical infrastructure spanning multiple streaming delivery methods ensures measurement accuracy regardless of viewing device preferences among consumers, creating reliable advertising performance data for marketing budget allocation decisions.

Timeline

• 2014: VIDAA launches as smart TV platform provider • 1969: Hisense founded, later becoming global television market leader
• July 2, 2025: MNTN partners with ZoomInfo to bring B2B advertising to connected TV
• July 15, 2025: Movistar Plus+ launches on Titan OS across Philips Smart TVs in Spain
• July 16, 2025: Wunderkind launches programmatic CTV pause ads with 79% cost reduction
• August 5, 2025: Microsoft launches Premium Streaming campaigns including Netflix
• August 11, 2025: Nexxen renews partnership with VIDAA for North American CTV expansion
• August 13, 2025: Nielsen launches Connected TV intelligence for Australia's advertising market
• August 19, 2025: Kargo CTV campaigns achieve 78% higher attention than industry standards
• August 19, 2025: Viant integrates with Wurl for scene-level CTV targeting
• August 26, 2025: Magnite rolls out pause ads for streaming TV with DIRECTV and Fubo
• September 5, 2025: VIDAA, Hisense, and Deutsche Telekom announce first true Operator Smart TV partnership
• End of 2025: MagentaTV App launches on VIDAA platform in Germany
• 2026: Full Operator TV integration planned, European expansion begins

Summary

Who: VIDAA International Holdings B.V., Hisense, and Deutsche Telekom's MagentaTV service announced the partnership. Guy Edri serves as CEO of VIDAA, while Arnim Butzen holds the position of SVP TV & Entertainment at Telekom Deutschland.

What: The companies launched the first true Operator Smart TV, which integrates live television, streaming services, and connectivity without requiring external hardware like set-top boxes. The solution combines MagentaTV's full service offering with VIDAA's smart TV operating system on Hisense television hardware.

When: The announcement occurred on September 5, 2025, at 10:00 GMT. The MagentaTV App launches on VIDAA by the end of 2025, with full Operator TV integration planned for 2026 and European expansion beginning in 2026.

Where: The partnership initially targets Germany, with expansion planned across additional European markets from 2026 onwards. VIDAA operates globally with more than 30 million connected devices across 400 brand partners.

Why: The collaboration addresses growing consumer demand for simplified entertainment experiences by eliminating set-top box complexity while maintaining access to comprehensive television and streaming content. The development supports telecommunications operators seeking hardware cost reduction and improved customer retention through integrated service delivery.