CTVMA Expands Home Screen Observatory as Australia’s TV Platform Economy Takes Shape
Announcement posted by CTVMA 14 Sep 2026
Sydney, Australia — 14 September 2026 — As CTVMA marks its 15th year during the 2027 Upfronts, the organisation is expanding its Home Screen Observatory (HSO), following completion of its Australian National Home Screen Database research programme.
New national dataset provides foundation for CTVMA's Home Screen Observatory following retail inspection of 2026 smart TVs
Retail Inspection
CTVMA has completed independent retail inspections of 2026 smart TV devices sold across Australia at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and The Good Guys, examining the presentation and prominence of Australian free-to-air television applications on smart TV home screens under the Australian TV prominence framework.
The framework requires new regulated smart TVs and connected television devices supplied in Australia from 10 January 2026 to prominently display ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now and 10. The retail programme provides a real-world view of how those obligations appear across consumer devices.
National Database
The resulting dataset will now form the foundation of Australia's National Home Screen Database, providing a structured reference point for application presentation, visibility, discoverability and platform distribution across the Australian smart TV environment.
The database will form the evidence base for HSO research into TV operating systems, home screens, applications, content discovery, distribution, identity, measurement, advertising, commerce and platform governance.
2027 Upfronts
The relevance of these layers is increasingly visible across the 2027 Upfronts, where television businesses are developing propositions that extend well beyond content and traditional media inventory.
Disney+ is expanding its advertising proposition around audience data and new advertising capabilities. Nine is bringing advertising to Stan, connecting its streaming environment with the broader Nine commercial ecosystem. BINGE continues to develop its streaming and content proposition within the wider Foxtel environment.
The Video Futures Collective is developing an independent cross-media measurement solution with AudienceProject for 2027, with members including Amazon Advertising, Disney Advertising, Foxtel Media, Netflix Ads, Samsung Ads, Vevo and YouTube.
Platform Layers
These developments demonstrate the convergence HSO is being developed to observe.
The TV operating system and home screen influence presentation and discovery. Applications provide the publisher environment. Content generates viewing signals. Identity and audience data connect households and audiences. Measurement connects viewing with reach and outcomes. Advertising and commerce create commercial value across the ecosystem.
Policy Convergence
Policy increasingly intersects with these same layers. Australia's prominence framework establishes obligations at the device and home-screen level, while commercial systems continue developing above and around that layer.
The National Home Screen Database provides evidence at the device and interface level. HSO extends that foundation across the wider television platform ecosystem.
Industry Engagement
Over the past 18 months, CTVMA has built an extensive programme of engagement across the connected television ecosystem, working with Free TV Australia, Freeview Australia, broadcasters and streaming publishers, television manufacturers and TV operating-system platforms including LG and Samsung, alongside advertising, AdTech, technology, measurement and data organisations.
This work has included research dialogue, platform and policy discussions, industry briefings and development of the HSO participation programme, bringing together organisations across the different layers of the emerging television platform economy.
The engagement is now creating the industry network through which HSO participation, research and future Observatory initiatives will develop.
HSO Development
James Grant Hay, Executive Director of CTVMA and Founder of the Home Screen Observatory, said:
"Television is no longer operating as a series of separate layers. Those layers are increasingly connected through the platforms, interfaces, data and systems that reach the household.
"Our National Home Screen Database gives us a tangible evidence base from which to observe that environment and understand how the television platform ecosystem is evolving, during this week's Ad Forum conference."
As CTVMA enters its 15th year, the Home Screen Observatory represents the next stage of the organisation's work in research, transparency, standards and platform governance.
"Fifteen years on, we're still evolving with the industry."