The Excitement Around the New Generation of Digital TV in Brazil

Of course, this is not a popular topic. You won’t hear people at a bar or a birthday party talking about TV 3.0. Very few bring it up, and even fewer truly understand it in depth. Still, if there is one thing that has genuinely excited Brazil’s powerful television industry, it is this new technology. Broadcasters are looking at this upgrade with shining eyes.

We don’t need to go too deep into technicalities to see that significant changes are on the way, particularly in the accuracy of advertising, its impact, and its interactivity, all vital factors for finally competing with the internet, which increasingly captivates the public while pushing free-to-air TV aside. Television has also been alarmed by lost opportunities on the web. Any recovery in broadcast TV will not stop the relentless advance of online platforms. Lessons have already been learned: paid mini-soaps failed miserably, while free (even partially free) formats became billion-dollar successes, often produced at much lower costs, both technically and artistically. The mistaken belief that the internet was the right place to charge for watching soap operas proved costly and left many trailing behind.

It’s a world of high complexity. Getting it right is never easy; it often means learning from mistakes and adjusting the course. We will likely see millions poured into projects that sink, but just a few successful ones could make up for all the failed bets.

As for expectations, we must wait and see how the major networks will handle this wave of excitement around Digital TV 3.0. The enthusiasm is not unfounded: strategists, both local and international, already have reasonably reliable data pointing to possible paths.

When it comes to digital radio in Brazil, the most opportune moment would have been for the consortiums to engage with the Minister of Communications during his recent visit to IBC 2025. Outside of that, the only short-term opportunity seems to be the upcoming ASSERPE event in Recife. Although digital radio is not on the official agenda, it could still emerge as a surprising highlight. We must wait for concrete actions to push the issue forwardk, even if it is not part of the script.