The ATSC 3.0 standard, marketed as NextGen TV, is narrowing the technical and functional gap between traditional over-the-air broadcasting and internet-based streaming. As its deployment expands across the U.S., stakeholders highlight its advantages in the streaming era. NextGen TV's on-demand features are a game-changer, providing viewers with control previously unavailable via antenna.
A key feature is the "start over" capability, allowing viewers to restart programs from the beginning. NBC's implementation during the Olympics set a precedent, with Gray Media planning to extend this to local news. “NBC rolled out across all their platforms in next gen, the NBC application in preparation for the Olympics that had start over, which is the first feature ever been deployed here,” said Anne Schelle, who leads Pearl TV. “It’s been deployed and something that consumers know well in streaming.” “We want to enable start over in all of our newscasts. If someone tunes into our evening news at 6:08, we want them to be able to hit the start over button and start from the very beginning,” said Rob Folliard, SVP of government relations and distribution at Gray Media.
NextGen TV also enables pausing and rewinding, features previously limited to streaming. “Consumers enjoy new functionality and enhanced programming, including the ability to pause and rewind programs, a feature previously mainly reserved for streaming services,” said Mary Crebassa, VP of major accounts at LTN. The integration of broadcaster-controlled applications creates a more interactive viewing experience, mirroring the user interface of streaming providers. “NextGen TV creates an environment that very much mimics what Gen Zs are used to, which is the ability to start over, to have applications, to find out more information, more content, more access to the news, ways of looking at things in very modernized viewing environment,” Schelle noted.
The IP foundation of ATSC 3.0 facilitates web-like interactivity. “NextGen TV is based on Internet Protocol (IP), just like online video services, and uses web languages for interactivity, so you can expect more innovation and new services, bringing consumers the best combination of online and broadcast television,” said Suzana Brady, SVP of worldwide sales and marketing for Cobalt Digital. Broadcast applications deliver supplementary content alongside linear programming, enhancing engagement. “NextGen TV unlocks new interactive features that transform local programming. From hyperlocal weather forecasts, news segments, and overlay information during sports games or shopping programs to interactive maps and personalized viewer guides, NextGen TV changes how viewers consume and engage with content,” Crebassa added.
ATSC 3.0 integrates over-the-air delivery with internet connectivity, creating a hybrid system. “Speaking specifically about NGA, I think the biggest shift is going from channel-based audio to object-based. Streaming and hybrid broadcast-OTT are much more adaptable to implementing these new technologies, and even approaching NGA staged implementation phases,” said Costa Nikols, executive-team strategy advisor for media & entertainment at Telos Alliance. This hybrid approach allows efficient linear programming delivery via broadcast with additional content and services via broadband. “Investments in new transmitters and middleware solutions are also key, allowing broadcasters to deliver hybrid broadcast-internet experiences while maintaining efficiency,” said Steve Edwards, VP, broadcast distribution, Rohde & Schwarz.
NextGen TV improves content discovery and personalization. “The enhancements around immersive and personalization features can be added based on takeup and adoption,” Nikols said. This extends to advertising, delivering more relevant commercial content. “A viewer seeing an addressable ad can also be served an interactive overlay showing sales or offers specific to the nearest store. With just one click, the consumer can access more details or personalized offers,” Crebassa explained. The standard supports enhanced EPGs with detailed metadata. “Relevant and interactive content keeps consumers ‘switched on’ and boosts engagement, opening up more monetization opportunities for broadcasters and advertisers,” Crebassa stated. This relies on improved audience measurement, providing detailed viewership data. “Improved audience measurement and targeted advertising could make over-the-air television far more attractive to advertisers, helping broadcasters compete more effectively for ad revenue,” Edwards added.
NextGen TV also enhances visual and audio quality, supporting advanced formats. “NextGen TV is a huge leap from traditional broadcasting, making a real difference in picture and sound quality with 4K, HDR, and immersive audio,” Edwards stated. Many broadcasters have prioritized HDR and Atmos implementation. “We’ve been rolling out HDR and Atmos. We focused initially on our NBC stations in advance of the Olympics. So we got as many of our NBCs up before the Olympics up mapping to HDR and getting Dolby Atmos on a bunch of them for the superior sound,” Folliard said. Audio improvements include dialogue enhancement. “With dialogue enhancement, every word is clear, so viewers don’t have to rewind, and won’t miss out on important parts,” Nikols noted.
NextGen TV addresses streaming's vulnerability to bandwidth constraints. EdgeBeam Wireless plans to leverage this for datacasting services. “EdgeBeam will be able to deliver data across the country to any civilian or military device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets, and television sets,” according to company documentation. EdgeBeam Wireless sees CDN assistance as a key application for ATSC 3.0. “EdgeBeam can help provide a significantly improved viewer experience for streaming services, without buffering or lag, particularly during high-profile events with large audiences, such as live sports,” according to the company. The broadcast standard offers reliability that internet-only delivery cannot match during peak usage.
While technologically advanced, NextGen TV faces adoption challenges. “I think we need to get the ATSC3 technology in more devices. That’s, I think, the number one thing in my book is to see more devices with that technology enabled in it,” Crebassa said. Television manufacturers are increasingly integrating NextGen TV reception capability. “We’ve really spent this last year focusing on the delivery of new services for consumers. So we built out to 76 percent coverage over the last four years, worked really hard to get TV manufacturers to adopt next gen TV as well as set-top box makers,” Schelle said. The industry aims to maintain broadcast’s content advantage while adopting streaming-like technologies. “Really broadcast without a doubt has the most popular and the best content that’s out there. Every month, Nielsen releases its breakdown of what people are watching, including streaming, cable networks, and over-the-air broadcasts. And every single month, it’s the same thing. The most popular programming, the stuff that everybody wants to watch, live sports, news, and other big events, they’re on broadcast,” Folliard emphasized.
The transition timeline will influence implementation speed. Streaming and NextGen TV are not mutually exclusive, offering different pros and cons. For local stations, these features offer a significant advantage in leveling the means of distribution. The National Association of Broadcasters has petitioned the FCC to sunset ATSC 1.0 by 2028 in major markets, with complete transition by 2030.