Centenary of Baird’s TV Demo Sparks New Era for Europe’s Telcos
London, UK – 26th January 2026 – On the 100th anniversary of John Logie Baird’s first live television demonstration in London’s Soho, RedSquid TV today launches its operator-grade AI TV platform – the only TV OS handing Europe’s telcos and Pay TV providers end-to-end control over UI, promotions, customer data, billing, and their own platform-level Ad capabilities.
Analysts value Europe’s Pay TV market at around €75 billion annually, serving up to 200 million subscribing households, but current TV OS from US hyperscalers leave operators powerless. RedSquid changes that, going deep to the chipset level for extensive customisation – enabling European telcos to reclaim the living room and avoid commoditisation.
The launch includes the announcement of a strategic manufacturing partnership with Sharp Consumer Europe for operator-supplied TVs — set to enter European telco trials in H2 2026 — and financing via Glow Financial Services to bundle affordable TVs with broadband/Pay TV packages.
“Sharp Europe looks forward to partnering with RedSquid – and with forward-looking Pay TV and telecommunications operators across Europe – to help shape this next century of television, building on the last century of innovation while keeping the focus firmly on quality, trust and value for viewers.”
— Witalis Korecki, CEO, Sharp Consumer Electronics Europe
“With our sophisticated risk management platform, we enable telcos to offer their subscribers a TV, as part of the Pay TV bundle, spreading the cost of their new 70″ screen, just as they do today with smartphones.”
— Andrew Cole, Executive Chairman, Glow Financial Services
Why RedSquid Empowers European Telcos Like Never Before
“Europe’s telcos serve a Pay TV market worth tens of billions of dollars a year and serving almost several hundred million homes, yet US hyperscaler TV OSs lock them out of UI mastery, data ownership, billing, and ads. RedSquid is the only platform giving full end-to-end control – from chipset customisation to running their own ad empire – plus edge AI for cognitive TV. It’s the ‘iPhone moment’ for TV; own the intelligence layer or risk Nokia-style decline. Validated in MENA and shown at IBC 2025, it lets operators bundle Sharp TVs, finance via Glow, and lead.”
— Trevor Neal, Founder & CEO of RedSquid TV
Landmark White Paper Warns of TV’s AI Revolution
Coinciding with the launch, RedSquid releases “From Aerials to Algorithms: Celebrating A Century of Television – And Why the Next Decade Will Reinvent TV All Over Again,” forecasting 2026-2036 as the “cognitive television” era. In-device AI and fibre will spawn new genres, but telcos must control OS/data layers as set-top boxes fade and content goes native.
“AI isn’t just faster old tricks – it’s new experiences via edge processing in the TV, from interactive content to household AI hubs. Without owning the TV OS, telcos fund rivals’ capex while losing value,” said Neal.
RedSquid invites telcos and PSBs for trial details. White paper available at redsquid.tv/news.
Notes to Editors
Source: Analysys Mason estimates, 2026
About RedSquid
RedSquid is a specialist in open and customisable smart TV platform solutions, providing software for connected TVs controlled by the operator. The team’s background is rooted in semiconductor design for Pay TV set top boxes and smart TV chipsets, and in the development of in-device system software, AI algorithms and ecosystem integrations. RedSquid was founded in 2025, and is headquartered in Bristol, England. The platform is already in mass production in the MENA region, validating its robustness. For further information visit: www.redsquid.tv
About Ocean Blue Software (OBS)
OBS was founded in 2005 with a strong focus on software licensing. It employs around fifty software engineers across the UK/EU, Middle East and South Africa. It has grown to become a trusted partner for some of the world’s biggest names in smart TV, set top boxes, and semiconductors. Today, OBS supports partners who deliver millions of smart TV devices worldwide. For further information visit: www.oceanbluesoftware.co.uk
About Sharp Europe
Sharp Europe helps enterprises and organisations enhance performance through a range of business technology products and services, from printers and advanced flat-screen technologies to collaboration platforms and IT services. As part of Sharp Corporation and backed by Foxconn, Sharp Europe is investing in new technologies and has developed the world’s first commercially available 8K monitor and the first certified Windows collaboration display. For more information, visit www.sharp.eu
About Glow Financial Services
Glow Financial Services is a global consumer electronics technology company that operates FinTech, InsurTech and GreenTech platforms delivering white-label device financing, protection and trade-in services for major channel partners including mobile network operators, OEMs and large retailers. Its platforms sit inside partners’ own digital journeys, enabling flexible instalment plans and embedded insurance that improve device affordability and customer experience while Glow manages credit decisioning, funding structures, fraud and back-end operations at scale. For more information, visit www.GlowGFS.com