Panasonic Projector & Display Acquires HIVE, Strengthening Integrated Visual Solutions for Immersive Environments

Hive Media Control Ltd. will continue to operate as a standalone, vendor-neutral business, while the combination expands customer value across playback, control, projection and display

[OSAKA, Japan / HORSHAM, UK — 19^thMAY,2026] Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation ("Panasonic") today announced that it has acquired 100% of the issued shares of UK-based media technology company Hive Media Control Ltd. ("HIVE"), strengthening its capabilities in media playback and control for immersive and fixed-installation environments.

The acquisition marks a further step in Panasonic’s evolution from a hardware-led manufacturer into a broader visual solutions ecosystem provider, expanding its proposition beyond projection and display into software, workflow and integrated media-delivery solutions.

At the same time, Hive Media Control Ltd. will continue to operate as a standalone business with a vendor-neutral market approach. Panasonic will support Hive Media Control Ltd.’s continued growth while preserving the independence, agility and openness that have shaped its position in the market. This includes continuity for Hive Media Control Ltd.’s existing customers and partners, including those using HIVE alongside projector and LED display brands beyond Panasonic.

Media servers play a central role in immersive environments and large-scale visual installations, helping manage playback, synchronization and control of content across multiple displays and surfaces. With Hive Media Control Ltd., Panasonic broadens its ability to support customers not only at the display endpoint, but across a wider part of the workflow from content playback and control through to deployment and operation. Hive Media Control Ltd.’s flagship BeeBlade platform is based on the Intel® Smart Display Module (SDM) standard, enabling direct integration with projectors, direct-view LED display systems and professional displays.

"This is a strategically important step for Panasonic as we continue to evolve our business beyond a hardware-oriented model toward broader visual solutions and workflow value," said Yousuke Adachi, CEO of Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation. "Under MEVIX, our visual solutions brand, we have been clearly articulating our commitment to contribute to customers across the total workflow, not just at the hardware endpoint. This acquisition is a major step in that direction and an important step forward in growth guided by the spirit of the MEVIX brand. Hive Media Control Ltd. brings proven expertise in media playback and control, and when combined with our projector and display portfolio, we believe it can create meaningful customer value through simpler deployment, greater flexibility and a better end-user experience. At the same time, we fully respect Hive Media Control Ltd.’s position as a standalone business open to working with the wider market, and we look forward to the synergies from Hive Media Control Ltd.’s continued growth also creating value for Panasonic."

"We are inspired and honoured by the opportunity to work with Panasonic, while continuing to grow Hive Media Control Ltd. as an open and independent ecosystem. In nature, the most powerful systems are interconnected, adaptive and free to evolve – a philosophy that sits at the heart of Hive Media Control Ltd.. This partnership gives us the scale to accelerate our vision while preserving the openness and platform-agnostic approach our customers rely on. I would also like to thank my co-founders, Dave Green and Trey Harrison, and our incredible Hive Media Control Ltd. team – whose belief and dedication mean we move into this next chapter together."

Panasonic views the media server market as a growth area, supported by increasing demand for immersive attractions, museums, themed environments and other permanent visual installations. Within this space, Hive Media Control Ltd. has built a strong position by offering a more compact, scalable and future-ready approach, underpinned by its SDM-native architecture and open ecosystem design.

For customers, the combination of Hive Media Control Ltd.’s media control architecture and Panasonic’s projection and display technologies is expected to create value through greater deployment flexibility, a smaller infrastructure footprint, fewer external devices, simplified cabling and more streamlined installation and operation. It also supports a better overall end-user experience where Hive Media Control Ltd. and Panasonic solutions are used together.

Hive Media Control Ltd.’s media servers are already deployed across major global projects including the BBC Earth Experience, the National Museum of Qatar and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel exhibition, demonstrating its capability across immersive attractions, cultural institutions and large-scale visual environments. Hive Media Control Ltd.’s innovation has been recognised through multiple high-profile international industry awards for its BeeBlade platform and broader media control ecosystem.

Further details on the companies’ collaboration, including customer-facing materials and additional communications, will be shared in due course.

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Panasonic Projector & Display Acquires HIVE, Strengthening Integrated Visual Solutions for Immersive Environments

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