BT, Discovery, Eurosport among the Content Innovation Award winners

BT, Discovery Networks International, Eurosport and Videocon d2h were among the big winners at Digital TV Europe’s inaugural Content Innovation Awards last night.

The awards, run in association with DTVE’s sister title TBI in Cannes on the eve of the MIPCOM content market, recognised some of the great innovations from content providers, distributors and technology companies that are helping transform today’s television industry.

The first prize of the night for 4K initiative of the year went to UK operator BT, which launched the first live sports UHD channel inEurope in August, BT Sport Ultra High Definition.

Discovery Networks International took home the prize for best international TV networks group, with the company having experienced organic international growth under the leadership of president JB Perrette.

The channel of the year prize went to Eurosport. Since Discovery took over the network in 2014, the channel has signed over 50 sports properties, including the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024, and claims to have had record ratings for the last 12 months.

Pay TV service provider of the year was Videocon d2h – the fastest growing pay TV operator in one of the world’s fastest growing markets: India.

Other prizes on the night went to AMC Global for best new channel launch; Endemol Beyond for the hotly contested multichannel network(MCN) of the year prize; and Liberty Global for Horizon Go, which took home the multiscreen TV Award.

Industry innovation of the year went to Belgian cable operator VOO for the .évasion box and Videowall developments, designed to “reinvent the old concept of [a] TV mosaic”.

Cloud TV initiative of the year, which recognises the year’s most innovative cloud TV service or technology went to Easel TV for Curzon Home Cinema – the Curzon cinema chain’s on-demand app. Meanwhile, social TV innovation of the year went to Orange for Watch with Twitter – a smart TV guide that shows which TV programs are trending on the social network.

Three TV technology awards were presented for content discovery, service-enabling technology and second-screen experience. Rovi’s Personalised Discovery Solution clinched the content discovery prize, whileConviva’s Intelligent Control Platform won for service-enabling technology. Mobile operator EE won the second-screen experience prize for LTE Broadcast by EE, following a successful LTE broadcast trial at the FA Cup final in the UK this summer.

On the content side, the best content distributor award went to ITV Studios Global Entertainment; international production company of the year went to Entertainment One; and best series launch of the year went to Discovery Networks CEEMEA for Dynamo: Magician Impossible (season 4).

“Content and technology are coming together as never before, so an event like the Content Innovation Awards is particularly timely,” said Stuart Thomson, editor of Digital TV Europe. “We give a heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to making the evening a success.”

The full list of the winners are:

4K Initiative of the Year

BT for BT Ultra HD Service

Cloud TV Innovation of the Year

Easel TV for Curzon Home Cinema

Social TV Innovation of the Year

Orange for Watch with Twitter

Industry Innovation of the Year      

VOO for the .évasion box and Videowall

Best New Channel Launch  

AMC Global

MCN of the Year

Endemol Beyond

Best International TV Networks Group

Discovery Networks International

Channel of the Year

Eurosport

TV Technology Award (content discovery)

Rovi for Personalized Discovery Solution

TV Technology Award (second-screen experience)

EE for LTE Broadcast by EE

TV Technology Award (service-enabling technology)

Conviva for Conviva Intelligent Control Platform

Multiscreen TV Award

Liberty Global for Horizon Go

Pay TV Service of the Year

Videocon d2h

Best Content Distributor

ITV Studios Global Entertainment

International Production Company of the Year

Entertainment One

Best Series Launch of the Year

Discovery Networks CEEMEA for Dynamo: Magician Impossible (season 4)

Read profiles of each of the winners and shortlisted companies in DTVE magazine’s Content Innovation Awards special: available online here.