The DPP, the leading provider of media and technology insight, has released the DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026. The research reveals a fundamental strategic transformation in how technology providers to the media and entertainment sector structure their product strategies, commercial models, and industry partnerships.
The DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 is based on insights from 76 Chief Executives at major technology providers serving the media, broadcast and entertainment industry, as well as the equivalent media business unit leaders at global tech companies. The responses show an industry aggressively re-architecting itself around artificial intelligence, Agentic Engineering, and interconnected platform ecosystems.
More than half of Media Tech CEOs have 'significantly' or even 'completely' changed both their business and technology strategies in the last year. AI technologies — most notably AI-assisted development and autonomous software agents — have been the main driver of this and are dominating CEO thinking. Indeed, 78% of participating CEOs say their approach to AI is more aggressive than it was a year ago, while implementing Agentic Engineering and adding new feature development, including AI features, are their top strategic priorities.
The DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 — which is enabled by Executive Sponsors Grass Valley and Qvest — is the second edition of the industry-leading initiative, following on from the inaugural research which was published in November 2025. The report, available to DPP members, provides a fascinating overview of the industry’s strategic priorities, market challenges, and key technology investment areas for the coming year.
Key findings from the DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 include:
- AI & Agentic Engineering are disrupting Buy vs Build dynamics
AI-assisted coding and autonomous software agents have emerged as the top technological driver of change in 2026, dominating vendor product roadmaps. But CEOs know that customers are following a similar strategy, and 79% of CEOs anticipate the adoption of AI coding by media companies will encourage those organisations to self-build software, raising concerns over ecosystem fragmentation.
- Suppliers are preparing for machine-to-machine Agentic interactions
24% industry suppliers expect customers and their AI Agents to interact with vendor platforms and technologies in an 'Agentic-first' first way prioritising machine-readable endpoints like MCP servers, allowing customer-owned Agents to fully orchestrate and automate a supplier’s software.
- Shift towards open standards and unified operating layers
Some 83% of supplier leaders view partnerships as central to growth, and more than three-quarters are seeking to integrate into major vendor platforms as unified operating layers develop. However, some are going against this gravity and view partner alliances as secondary to their own proprietary ecosystems.
- Robust CEO confidence despite commercial headwinds
84% of Chief Executives believe media companies are 'quite challenged' or even 'extremely challenged'. But CEOs are upbeat, with 84% expecting revenue increases and 70% forecasting profit increase in the next 12 months despite industry headwinds.
- Growing pains aren't solved by trade shows
Half of Media Tech CEOs say market instability in media is their biggest commercial barrier. Vendors also report they are struggling with access to customers, brand profile and business development. Many put significant focus into IBC and NAB trade shows, even though more than 85% believe the effectiveness of these events is limited or diminishing.
The findings highlight a defining moment for the sector as leaders navigate unprecedented technological change.
"The central finding of the DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 is that artificial intelligence and Agentic AI are no longer peripheral innovations or mere productivity enhancements, but the core foundational pillars around which Media Tech suppliers are re-architecting," says DPP Editorial Director Edward Qualtrough, the report author. "As well as preparing for machine-to-machine 'Agentic-first' interactions with customers, Media Tech CEOs are ramping up their development pipeline with AI-assisted coding — but they see that customers are planning to do the same. As Buy vs Build dynamics reshape, smart CEOs are putting even more focus on the value proposition of their solutions to stay relevant."
Participating CEOs highlighted the strategic value of the findings:
"The DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 gives a valuable perspective on the changes facing our industry, and the priorities for technology providers," Grass Valley CEO Jon Wilson says. "As media organisations navigate market pressures and rapid advances in AI, our responsibility is to focus on where technology can deliver real business value. That requires closer collaboration with customers, a clear understanding of the challenges they need to solve and offer solutions that help them meet today's demands while building greater flexibility and efficiency into their operations."
"What I value about the DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 is how grounded the discussion has been," adds Qvest CEO Thorsten Sauer. "There is a clear ambition to drive change, but also a healthy degree of realism about what can actually be implemented, operated at scale and deliver business value. Bringing together different CEO perspectives helps show where priorities are shifting and where a pragmatic approach can make the biggest difference."
The DPP Media Tech CEO Survey 2026 report is exclusively available to download by DPP members here.
