Anyone claiming the video player market isn’t commoditized is selling something. Disruption is well underway. Theo Technologies has been snapped up by Dolby, Brightcove is midway through a turbulent $233 million takeover by Bending Spoons, and whispers about Bitmovin’s funding fuel off-the-record conversations. Elsewhere, JW Player, Vimeo, Bitcentral, and FX Digital are all under close industry scrutiny. At NAB 2025, Brightcove put on a brave face—talking up renewed focus and innovation—while defending its new parent company’s decision to slash a third of its workforce. Official figures say Brightcove shrank from 600 to 400 staff, but the pre-acquisition number was north of 700. Brightcove insists its focus remains on B2B, despite speculation that Bending Spoons—better known for consumer apps like StreamYard,…