HDMI Licensing

What HDMI Licensing does

HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) is a private, for-profit B2B licensing agent headquartered in San Jose, California. Founded in 2002, the company is appointed by the HDMI Forum to license Version 2.x of the HDMI Specification and separately appointed by the HDMI Founders to license earlier HDMI Specification versions. Its functional role is to administer the HDMI trademark and certification regime on behalf of the standards body, not to invent or manufacture HDMI silicon or devices.

The core product is the HDMI Specification itself — a proprietary digital audio/video interface standard — together with a mandatory Cable Certification Program. The current generation, HDMI 2.2 (released January 2025), delivers 96Gbps bandwidth via Next-Gen Fixed Rate Link (FRL), supporting uncompressed 4K at up to 240Hz or 480Hz with chroma subsampling, and resolutions up to 12K@120. Sub-features include the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP), Dynamic HDR, Source-Based Tone Mapping (SBTM), Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), Cable Power, and gaming-oriented Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Quick Media Switching (QMS). Companion cable products include the Ultra96 HDMI Cable (96Gbps, 2025) and the Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable (48Gbps). Certification is enforced through HDMI Forum Authorized Test Centers (Forum ATCs).

The business model is licensing-driven. Manufacturers must enter into an HDMI Adopter Agreement with HDMI LA to access the specifications and use the HDMI trademarks; adopters and cable manufacturers pay licensing fees, royalties, and certification program fees, which are passed through into the cost of consumer electronics. Customer segments include consumer electronics manufacturers (TVs, monitors, PCs, gaming consoles, AV receivers, streaming devices), cable and accessory manufacturers, the gaming industry, and — increasingly — the automotive industry. The company is led by Rob Tobias (CEO), Brad Bramy (VP Marketing), Jeff Park (CTO), and Steve Robertson (CFO). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

HDMI Licensing

Legal name

HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc.

Website

https://hdmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HDMI Licensing Administrator is a private B2B licensing agent that administers the HDMI Specification (currently v2.2 at 96Gbps), licensing it to consumer electronics and cable manufacturers worldwide through its Adopter Program and mandatory Cable Certification Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunnyvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. HDMI Licensing Royalties: HDMI LA collects licensing fees and royalties from manufacturers who adopt the HDMI technology. These fees are passed on to consumers as part of the cost of devices with HDMI ports.
2. Adopter Agreement Fees: Companies must enter into an HDMI Adopter Agreement with HDMI LA to access HDMI Specifications and use HDMI Trademarks. Adopters pay fees for this access.
3. Cable Certification Program: Cable manufacturers must have their cables certified and affix certification labels. This includes the Ultra96 HDMI Cable and Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable certification programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) administers the licensing of the HDMI Specification on behalf of the HDMI Forum and HDMI Founders. Manufacturers (HDMI Adopters) sign Adopter Agreements to access the HDMI Specifications and use the HDMI trademarks, pay per-unit royalties on shipped products, and certify cables through HDMI Authorized Test Centers. The portfolio includes HDMI 2.2 (96Gbps) and earlier specification versions, plus the Ultra96 HDMI Cable, Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, and Premium High Speed HDMI Cable certification programs.

Product overview

HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) operates as a licensing agent managing the HDMI Specification. The portfolio centers on HDMI Specification versions (currently 2.2 and 1.4b) and related cable certification programs (Ultra96 HDMI Cable at 96Gbps and Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable at 48Gbps). The product ecosystem includes gaming features (VRR, ALLM, QFT, QMS), audio technologies (eARC), HDR technologies (Dynamic HDR, SBTM), and the Latency Indication Protocol (LIP). The company also offers an Adopter Program for manufacturers licensing HDMI technology and a Cable Certification Program ensuring compliant cables. HDMI 2.2 introduces Next-Gen Fixed Rate Link (FRL) technology with 96Gbps bandwidth supporting resolutions up to 12K@120.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ultra96 HDMI Cable: The latest HDMI cable type introduced with HDMI 2.2 specification supporting up to 96Gbps bandwidth
• Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable
• Premium High Speed HDMI Cable

Products and services

• HDMI 2.2 Specification The latest HDMI specification version licensed to manufacturers, offering 96Gbps bandwidth (double HDMI 2.1) and enabling uncompressed 4K at up to 240Hz or 4K at 480Hz with chroma subsampling, with support for resolutions up to 12K@120. Target customers are HDMI Adopters (consumer electronics manufacturers) who need next-generation connectivity for advanced displays, gaming, and AR/VR applications.
• HDMI 1.4b Specification Legacy HDMI specification version with 10.2Gbps bandwidth, supporting features such as HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), Audio Return Channel, and 3D formats. Licensed to manufacturers with continuing support needs for the legacy standard.
• Ultra96 HDMI Cable Latest HDMI cable type supporting up to 96Gbps bandwidth, designed to enable all HDMI 2.2 features including uncompressed full chroma formats such as 8K@60/4:4:4 and 4K@240/4:4:4 at 10-bit and 12-bit color. Required to be tested and certified at HDMI Forum Authorized Testing Centers (Forum ATCs) under the mandatory Ultra HDMI Cable Certification Program.
• Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable HDMI cable introduced in the HDMI 2.1 Specification supporting up to 48Gbps maximum bandwidth, applicable to system configurations supporting 4K and 8K content. Part of the mandatory Ultra HDMI Cable Certification Program; cables must be tested and certified at HDMI Authorized Test Centers.
• Premium High Speed HDMI Cable Cable certification program for cables supporting 18Gbps bandwidth, suitable for 4K/60Hz content with HDR. Cables are tested under the Premium HDMI Cable Certification Program and required to display official certification labeling.
• HDMI Licensing Adopter Program Licensing program allowing manufacturers to license HDMI technology and use HDMI trademarks. Adopters enter into an Adopter Agreement with HDMI LA, gain access to HDMI Specifications, and are authorized to use HDMI Trademarks on licensed products. Pricing is negotiated B2B and not publicly disclosed; royalty discounts are documented in a public schedule.
• HDMI Cable Certification Program Mandatory cable certification program ensuring high-quality, tested, and compliant HDMI cables reach the market. Covers Ultra96 HDMI Cable and Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. Cables are tested at HDMI Authorized Test Centers (ATCs) and must affix official certification labels.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• HDBaseT Alliance: Promotes an alternative AV connectivity standard targeting professional AV and home theater — a niche competitor to HDMI in adjacent use cases.
• Access Advance: Administers patent pools for video codec standards (HEVC, VVC) with a per-unit royalty model targeting the same consumer electronics manufacturers that are HDMI adopters.

Broad incumbents

• Wi-Fi Alliance: Licenses the Wi-Fi brand and certifies devices against the Wi-Fi specification, directly analogous to HDMI LA's spec-licensing and cable certification program.
• VESA (DisplayPort): The standards body behind DisplayPort, a competing AV interface. Comparable as a standards-licensing organization addressing the same OEMs and device categories as HDMI LA.
• Dolby Laboratories: Licenses core audio/video IP (Dolby Atmos, Vision) to consumer electronics and content creators on a per-device/royalty basis, overlapping with HDMI LA's licensing economics and customer base.
• USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF): Governs the USB standard (including USB-C/Thunderbolt) and licenses logos to manufacturers. Closely overlaps with HDMI LA's adopter program and is a competing connectivity standard in PCs and mobile.
• Bluetooth SIG: Manages Bluetooth standards and a global licensing/membership program for adopters, with the same royalty-collecting and certification-led model that HDMI LA uses for HDMI.

Direct peers

• Via Licensing Alliance: Runs collaborative licensing programs for standards like audio codecs and wireless charging, sharing HDMI LA's model of pooled IP licensing to a global adopter base.
• MPEG LA: Operates patent pools and licenses standards-essential technologies on a per-unit royalty basis — the closest business-model analog to HDMI LA's adopter/royalty program.
• Sisvel: Manages patent pools and licensing programs for consumer electronics standards (e.g., video codecs, wireless), mirroring HDMI LA's role of monetizing pooled IP through per-device royalties.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hdmillc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hdmi-licensing-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HDMI Licensing