TV Azteca and Dolby bring Atmos immersive audio to free-to-air TV in Mexico

TV Azteca and Dolby Laboratories announced at NAB 2026 a project to deliver Dolby Atmos immersive audio over ATSC 1.0 transmissions in Mexico, marking the first time spatial audio will reach free-to-air broadcast audiences in the region. Imagine Communications and Ateme are the technical implementation partners. The system distributes immersive audio through existing ATSC 1.0 standards, meaning viewers do not need new television hardware to receive the service.

The significance of delivering immersive audio over a legacy broadcast standard is that it makes a format previously limited to premium streaming services or cinema available to the mass audience that accesses television over ordinary rooftop antennas. Mexico's free-to-air television market remains large, and TV Azteca operates one of the country's two primary national broadcast networks.

"Our work with TV Azteca represents a decisive step in bringing immersive experiences to mass audiences," said Pankaj Kedia of Dolby Laboratories. The announcement follows a pattern visible across NAB 2026 in which audio and picture quality improvements — once dependent on receiver upgrades or ATSC 3.0 migration — are being retrofitted to existing infrastructure, reducing the transition cost for broadcasters and viewers alike.