These awards honor collaborative projects that offer innovative solutions to real-world challenges in the media and entertainment (M&E) and technology industries. They also celebrate initiatives focused on social purpose, environment, and sustainability.

Categories and Key Trends

The awards feature five categories for 2024: Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Social Impact, and Environment & Sustainability. This year’s finalists highlight live sports as a major driver of innovation, particularly in a year marked by significant events like UEFA EURO 2024 and the Summer Olympics.

Global Participation

Fergal Ringrose, Chair of the 2024 IBC Innovation Awards Jury, remarked on the global nature of the entries, which came from six continents. He emphasized the need for content producers worldwide to innovate continually to remain relevant and competitive in the modern M&E technology ecosystem.

Award Ceremony Details

The winners will be announced in a ceremony hosted by presenter and former news anchor Sasha Qadri. The event will take place in the Auditorium Complex at the RAI on Sunday, 15 September at 18.00 CET.

Content Creation Finalists

• The National Football League (US): Collaborated with ESPN, Disney/Pixar, and Beyond Sports to create a fully animated, real-time NFL alternative broadcast set in the Toy Story universe.
• Olympic Broadcasting Services: Utilized more than 200 smartphones for video contributions to the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and implemented a sea-based 5G network for sailing competitions in Marseille.
• Aspire: Worked with Vislink and FocalPoint VR to develop a virtual reality over RF wireless solution for the inaugural season of Aspire’s Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).

Content Distribution Finalists

• Claro: Developed a new approach to pay TV in Brazil, integrating streaming channels and applications.
• NBCUniversal Operations and Technology: Transformed the delivery method of its TV channels worldwide.
• The National Hockey League (Canada and US): Partnered with Verizon, AWS, Zixi, Vizrt, and Evertz to produce a 5G and Edge compute framework for live broadcast assembly, control, and delivery.

Content Everywhere Finalists

• LaLiga: Collaborated with Play Anywhere and Ease Live to enable fan interactivity for its global broadcast and streaming partners.
• Red Bull Media House: Integrated real-time GPS tracking, data management, and advanced visualization to enhance viewing experiences.
• Franceinfo (France Télévisions): Partnered with PimpMyCompany to broadcast aggregated messages from various platforms live on air.

Social Impact Finalists

• Disney Star, Star Sports: Worked with India Signing Hands to make cricket accessible to millions of hard-of-hearing and visually impaired fans.
• CultureQ: Developed a technology platform with indigenous-owned Kiwa Digital to support indigenous language and culture revitalization.
• Sesame Workshop: Created the Watch Play Learn Distribution Hub for agencies to request videos for children in crisis settings.

Environment & Sustainability Finalists

• France Télévisions: Reduced CO2 emissions by 300 tons with a cloud production and private 5G network initiative.
• GreeningofStreaming: Addressed the energy impact of the streaming sector with an international reach and over 30 member organizations.
• Anton/Bauer: Introduced Salt-E Dog, leveraging sodium chemistry for sustainable television production practices.

Additional Awards

The ceremony will also feature the IBC International Honour for Excellence and the Best Technical Paper award, with presentations during the IBC Conference from 13-15 September.

Finalists’ Announcement

Earlier this month, IBC released longlists of the final 10 contenders for each category, selected from hundreds of entries submitted by media organizations and their technology partners globally.