EPG, SCTE, & SPORTS DATA Roundtables

The OTT.X EPG, SCTE & Sports Data Roundtables are collaborative working sessions bringing together senior executives from across the CTV and sports media ecosystems. The October 7 program will feature two connected sessions. The first will introduce the DSCA EPG specification as it approaches completion, providing an opportunity for the broader industry to learn about the work and contribute perspectives on implementation and adoption. The second will focus on sports data and taxonomy, a growing industry priority as live sports programming becomes increasingly distributed across platforms. Both sessions will center on real-world use cases, practical implementation challenges, and the role shared standards can play in improving discovery, distribution, monetization, and the viewer experience. DSCA EPG Specification Update The first half of the program will introduce the DSCA EPG specification and the industry collaboration behind it. With the specification approaching completion, the session will provide an opportunity to review the work, discuss its practical applications, and gather broader industry perspectives on implementation and adoption. The discussion will include: • The specification’s structure, use cases, and core attributes • Support for linear, FAST, live-event, and special programming channels • Scheduled and real-time updates, including sports overruns, breaking news, blackouts, and program changes • Alignment between EPG metadata, content discovery, and SCTE signaling • Implementation considerations for platforms, publishers, distributors, and OEMs • Final priorities, timelines, and opportunities to participate as the specification moves toward completion The session is open to existing working-group participants as well as organizations interested in learning about the specification, contributing their perspectives, or preparing for its future implementation. Sports Data & Taxonomy Working Session The second half of the program will focus on sports data and taxonomy, a growing industry priority as live sports programming becomes increasingly distributed across linear television, streaming platforms, FAST channels, and direct-to-consumer services. Inconsistent terminology and data structures can affect how sports content is scheduled, distributed, discovered, monetized, and measured. Establishing greater alignment around leagues, teams, events, competitions, and programming types can improve interoperability across the entire sports media ecosystem. The session will explore how sports content and live events can be identified, structured, and communicated more consistently across platforms, providing a stronger foundation for content discovery, rights management, advertising, measurement, and the viewer experience. The discussion will include: • Consistent identification of sports, leagues, teams, events, seasons, and competitions • Classification of live events, replays, highlights, and related programming • Scheduled events, delays, cancellations, overruns, and real-time changes • Connections between sports data, EPG metadata, and signaling • Current gaps and implementation challenges across the ecosystem • Opportunities to align terminology, use cases, and next steps The session welcomes perspectives from streaming platforms, publishers, distributors, data providers, technology companies, rights holders, sports leagues, and other organizations interested in improving how sports programming is represented and discovered across the streaming ecosystem. Event Details • Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM PT • Roku Offices in Santa Monica, California • Available for in-person attendance or virtual participation • Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees Who Should Attend? The roundtables are open to industry executives interested in the metadata, signaling, sports data, and technical foundations supporting live and linear streaming, including those working across: • EPG strategy, metadata architecture, and content discovery • SCTE signaling and live streaming operations • FAST, CTV, and linear platform operations • Content publishing and technical operations • Streaming technology and infrastructure • Standards development and implementation • Sports programming, data, rights, and distribution Participants do not need to be involved in the existing working groups to attend. The program is designed both for those already contributing to the work and those interested in learning more, sharing practical perspectives, or participating in the next phase of industry collaboration. Registration is free for all OTT.X members. In-person capacity is limited, and advance registration is required.