Via LA raises H.264 streaming fees for new licensees, existing deals stay unchanged
Via Licensing Alliance has updated its H.264, also known as AVC, streaming fee schedule for 2026. The old $100,000 ceiling is still there for small and nascent services, but the new public table now scales up to $4.5 million per year for the largest OTT, FAST, social media, and cloud gaming platforms.
According to Streaming Media, Via LA said companies that already held an active AVC license by the end of 2025 keep their previous streaming terms. The higher pricing is aimed at companies seeking a new AVC license in 2026 or later.
The first and most important question is scope. Via’s response to my questions was clear on this point: all AVC licensees with an active license as of the end of 2025 were entitled to retain the streaming terms of their original agreement. The new fee structure applies only to previously unlicensed implementers seeking a license starting in 2026.
— Streaming Media
Via LA’s own AVC page shows the full tier structure. Tier 1 rates are set at $4.5 million for OTT services with 100 million or more subscribers, FAST services with 100 million or more daily users, social platforms with 1 billion or more monthly active users, and cloud gaming services with 15 million or more monthly active users. Tier 2 and Tier 3 pricing drops to $3.375 million and $2.25 million, while smaller services remain at the old $100,000 level.
Source: Streaming Media/VIA Licensing
The bigger issue is that H.264 is no longer an isolated licensing story. Streaming Media noted that Nokia has already secured HEVC licensees, while Access Advance and Avanci have both published codec-related terms that can stack more pressure onto video services.
We have also seen this spill into the PC market. Dell and HP reportedly disabled H.265 hardware decoding on some systems, while Nokia’s HEVC dispute in Germany forced Acer and ASUS to halt direct PC and laptop sales . ASUS publicly confirmed it temporarily suspended its German website and online store, and both vendors later restored only limited site access after the disruption, with laptops and desktops still unavailable for direct purchase. That is exactly the kind of pressure that pushes the market toward open standards. Bring AV2 as soon as possible, folks!
Source: Streaming Media
