PlAYBACK PIONEERS 2025
WELCOME TO PLAYBACK PIONEERS 2025!
Celebrating the people, companies & communities defining tomorrow’s playback experiences.
This isn’t just a list of names. It’s a platform for the innovators who are reshaping how the world watches, engages with, and experiences content. From AI-driven personalisation to next-gen infrastructure, cutting-edge UX, monetisation models, and inclusive innovation. Playback Pioneers shines a light on the leaders who are setting the pace. More importantly, it’s about connection. Playback Pioneers has already sparked collaborations, solved real business challenges, and opened doors for those involved. It’s grown into a community that now stretches beyond the pages of this report, with conversations continuing through our podcast and at The Media & Entertainment Mixer events in Bristol, London, and Amsterdam.
From the most advanced AI in streaming to world-first UX design. Meet the leaders changing how the world watches
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5V Video helps some of the world’s leading end users, operators, and vendors grow and scale the technical teams that power the video industry. From streaming platforms to technology providers, we work at the heart of the ecosystem, helping businesses build the talent they need to deliver next-gen viewing experiences. But we don’t just service the industry, we’re embedded within it. Playback Pioneers was born out of the conversations we have every day with innovators, creators, and technical leaders.
It’s our way of spotlighting the people making a real impact, sparking ideas, and setting the pace for the future. Beyond recruitment, we also drive and support initiatives that bring the industry together. From Playback Pioneers and the Playback Pioneers Podcast, to The Media & Entertainment Mixer event series in Bristol, London, and Amsterdam, 5V Video is committed to creating spaces where collaboration, innovation, and community can thrive. As a B Corp-certified company and a Preferred Plus Partner of RDK, we align ourselves with organisations that share our forward momentum. Our work, and this report, is about more than business growth. It’s about celebrating the people and projects shaping where video goes next.
We believe that by sharing these insights, we can inspire further innovation and contribute to moving the industry forward together.
Find out more about us by clicking here.
Playback Pioneers has always been about more than just names - it’s about championing the people shaping the future of video. Partnering with Faultline, known since 2003 for fearless commentary and sharp analysis of video and streaming, adds real weight to the stories we tell. Their insight cuts through noise, giving our readers not just recognition of talent, but trusted context and perspective. Together, Playback Pioneers becomes more than a showcase, it’s a benchmark for what’s next in the industry. They get trusted insight, context, and perspective that transforms Playback Pioneers from a showcase into a benchmark of what’s next for this industry.
5V Media produces the Playback Pioneers Report as part of our mission to spotlight the innovation shaping the media and entertainment industry. More than just research, it’s storytelling - showcasing the people, projects, and ideas pushing the industry forward.
At 5V Media, we create initiatives like Playback Pioneers, Women Behind the Screen, and The Media & Entertainment Mixer to bring the community together in meaningful ways. Whether through in-depth reports, editorial campaigns, or live events, our focus is always on amplifying innovation and making sure the stories that matter get seen and heard.
If you’d like to explore how you or your brand can get involved in our initiatives, book a call with us here!!