Smartlabs Extends Partnership with Tring and Delivers Full Platform Upgrade

Smartlabs and Tring have signed a multi-year contract extension and completed a full modernisation of Tring's television platform — covering every layer of the stack, from headend infrastructure to end-user applications.

Tring is the largest pay-TV operator in Albania, delivering over 170 channels — including 41 exclusive in-house productions — and the country's most comprehensive sports offering, with rights to UEFA Champions League, Serie A, Bundesliga, NBA, and MotoGP. The platform serves hundreds of thousands of households and operates the largest VOD library in Albania, with more than 13,000 titles.

What was upgraded. Smartlabs replaced and modernised all core OTT/IPTV platform components: the OTT/IPTV Middleware, VoD content delivery and transcoding infrastructure, monitoring and analytics system, and Universal DRM. All components were brought to the current release, consolidating Tring's infrastructure onto a single, unified platform generation.

Expanded device coverage. Existing streaming applications — hybrid STBs, web, iOS and Android mobile, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Android TV — received full updates. Two new applications were delivered: Hisense VIDAA Smart TV and Amazon Fire TV. This extends Tring's reach across every major consumer device environment without requiring separate middleware or DRM integrations.

User experience and monetisation. The upgrade introduces Smartlabs' updated UI/UX patterns, with particular focus on content discovery and advertising capabilities. Operators on Smartlabs' platform can configure pre-roll and mid-roll ad insertion via VAST integration, apply frequency capping, and target by subscriber profile and device type — directly from the management console.

Both companies are in active discussions on further roadmap items, including additional platform regions, new configuration options for Tring's regional partners, and integration of upcoming SmartTUBE features from the 2026 product roadmap.

"This upgrade reflects how we work with long-term operator partners — systematically, across the full stack, with each release building on the previous one."

To discuss what a platform upgrade or new deployment looks like for your operation, contact the Smartlabs team.