IBC is preparing to honour the highest achievements in technological innovation and social impact with the announcement of the long-listed entries in the five IBC Innovation Awards categories for 2025: Content Creation, Content Distribution, Content Everywhere, Environment & Sustainability and Social Impact.
The IBC Innovation Awards recognise the best in collaborative efforts to develop new solutions to real-world technical challenges and to address social and environmental issues.
AI Show Developer: From blank page to broadcast - Facing €50‑million cuts and a youth audience drifting to TikTok, Finland’s YLE asked Dramatify to hack the slowest step in TV: show development. AI Show Developer lives inside Dramatify’s cloud suite and streamlines concept to broadcast‑ready rundown: pitch-ready concepts, timed rundown outlines, on-air scripts and tagged breakdowns — generated securely with MS Azure AI and OpenAI ChatGPT.
AvaTalk: Avatar-based interview automation for newsrooms - AvaTalk enables fully automated, AI-driven interviews in regional TV by replacing human hosts with lifelike, broadcast-ready avatar moderators. Developed by German regional public broadcaster STUDIO 47, the system combines speech synthesis, natural language processing and real-time adaptive dialogue to conduct full-length TV interviews in both video and audio. Technical supporters include feine Apps,
Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth - Japan’s public broadcaster NHK and its production affiliate NHK Enterprises, together with ZDF/ARTE and OceanX, in collaboration with CMMAI, succeeded in capturing, in 8K and 22.2 channel sound, the world’s first-ever video images of a group of coelecanths, known as ‘living fossils’. The project developed a special ultra-high-sensitive 8K deep-sea filming housing system, capable of withstanding depths of up to 1000 metres. Technical supporters include SGO and Restar.
FOX Soccer Palace XR/AR 360 set - For the 2024 Euro and Copa tournaments, FOX Sports designed a 50,000 square foot FOX Soccer Palace to be used on its LED volume. With newly-designed code for advanced Unreal Engine plugins and a virtual camera track system, transitions between virtual and real cameras became a reality. This enabled unique storytelling and talent portal transitions.
IP-based multiviewer editorial workflow for Paris 2024 - For NBC Olympics’ gymnastics coverage at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where more than 60 live sources captured action across six apparatus and three competition zones, editorial speed was essential. NBC evolved its mosaic-based editorial workflow, refining how multiviewers can be used not just for monitoring but as active editorial tools, in collaboration with Avid, EVS and NEP.
Dialogue elevation for Black Rabbit and Poker Face - Re-recording mixer Larry Benjamin utilised Nugen Audio’s DialogCheck plug-in on Netflix’s ‘Black Rabbit’ and Peacock’s ‘Poker Face’ to enhance and verify dialogue intelligibility during final mix stages. As one of the first adopters of the tool, Benjamin explored its real-time analysis capabilities to support creative decisions without compromising artistic intent.
MBC, Pixtree and SK Telecom for AI-assisted remastering - Commercialisation of a generalised AI-based video remastering system for Korean terrestrial broadcaster MBC that has over a number of years involved upscaling SD-grade content, improving UHD-grade content to UHD quality, and now a full chain SD to UHD upscaling solution equipped with 4:3 to 16:9 Auto-Reframe functionality, working with partners Pixtree and SK Telekom.
FEI and CREE8 redefine live sports broadcasting - The Fédération Equestre Internationale employed Tyrell via ClipMyHorse.TV to create a fully remote production workflow in the cloud. At the heart of the transformation is CREE8’s unsegmented growing file technology — allowing editors immediate access to broadcast footage to cut highlights and social content, while the competition is still in progress.
Pushing human and technology endurance to the limit - Transmitting live video from some of the world’s most remote locations is a major connectivity challenge – especially when you aim to deliver broadcast-standard quality. Sweden’s One Water Race turned to LiveU to provide an innovative IP solution to go live from the Stockholm archipelago, connecting to an NEP Sweden OB truck in Stockholm.
Remote sports content integration for The Last Leg - For Paris 2024, The Last Leg, Channel 4’s live studio show, introduced a new remote content workflow to bridge sports material generated at Whisper in Cardiff, supported by Timeline Television, with the main production team in Paris. Using LucidLink with Avid, EVS and Telestream, the team enabled near-instant access to same-day sports clips across different countries.
Sync by NBCUniversal - Sync is NBCUniversal News Group’s universal, device-agnostic asset creation and playout platform. Built entirely in-house, it integrates real-time graphics, financial data and election results into a self-serve toolset usable by both technical operators and editorial producers. Deployed globally across CNBC and CNBC International, and central to 2024 U.S. election coverage on MSNBC, Sync streamlines control of Vizrt, Unreal Engine and other production systems.
Crunchyroll Anime Awards localisation and distribution - Crunchyroll brought its 2025 Anime Awards event in Tokyo to the global anime community by dubbing and real-time localising the programme for live regional distribution, combining dubbing studios and scalable livestreaming cloud technology, in partnership with Amagi, AWS Elemental, Bridge Digital and Pixelogic.
Distributing the fastest growing sport in the world - Premier Padel, Globecast and Net Insight have combined to transform global media distribution for the Premier Padel Tour. With Globecast integrating Net Insight’s Nimbra Edge platform, the project has transitioned to a software-defined, IP-over-internet model, enabling live media distribution of all 24 events to partners worldwide.
World Curling redefines event workflows with GlobalM - Using GlobalM’s distributed, protocol-native IP platform, World Curling now delivers low-latency, broadcast-grade streams to global rights holders from any venue with internet. GlobalM’s cloud-native gateway pods handle transport optimisation and encrypted delivery, along with Matrox Monarch EDGE video encoding and Dejero GateWay providing bonded cellular internet as a backup link.
MediaMesh step-change for broadcast operations at scale - Facing the complexity of integrating hundreds of legacy systems and workflows of multiple broadcasters across Europe, in order to migrate to the cloud, Sky Group collaborated with a group of technology partners – Amazon Web Services, SDVI, Telestream and TMT Insights -- to deliver a modular, API-driven, cloud-native architecture.
Proactive ABB monitoring for Millicom Tigo ONEtv - To ensure smooth delivery of its expanding Tigo ONEtv service across nine countries in Latin America, Millicom partnered with Interra Systems and integrator SDT to deploy the Orion suite for real-time QoS and QoE monitoring across linear and OTT workflows. The pay TV operator wanted to be able to identify and fix service quality issues before users even perceive them.
NBCUniversal satellite downlink ecosystem transformed - NBCUniversal (NBCU) future-proofed its satellite downlink operations using Appear’s X Platform and Skyline Communications’ Dataminer. This resulted in a shift from a fragmented, hardware-intensive environment to a centralised, cloud-compatible ecosystem. It consolidates satellite reception infrastructure, replacing several rooftop antennas with a shared pool of high-density demodulators and remote decoders.
plain X: 4-in-1 AI-supported media localisation platform - plain X is a media localisation platform that was co-developed by Priberam Informática in association with Deutsche Welle over several years, using multiple AI engines. plain X enables transcripts, translations, subtitling and voice-over production. It is fully implemented and heavily used at Deutsche Welle, which provides daily news in over 30 languages.
MASV enables Troveo as missing link in AI training - Troveo bridges the gap between content creators and AI companies by helping creators monetise unused footage through AI licensing. The company selected the MASV file transfer solution to ingest massive, complex datasets from global sources — YouTubers, production houses, TV stations — and turn that content into structured training data for generative AI models. Technical supporters include Pro-Tek and Iron Mountain.
OBS hybrid streaming delivery for Paris 2024 - For the Paris 2024 Games, Olympic Broadcasting Services partnered with Alibaba Cloud and Ateme to transform live sports streaming through a ground-breaking hybrid delivery model. It combined the traditional International Broadcast Centre (IBC) pipeline with a direct, cloud-based path from the venue to the viewer — effectively bypassing the IBC when needed.
First commercial live broadcast with 5G in Poland - Poland recently celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the coronation of Bolesław I Chrobry with live TVP broadcasts from Warsaw. The event faced technical challenges, particularly in transmitting camera signals from boats sailing on the Vistula River. To handle this, Orange Poland created a dedicated 5G non-public mobile network, combining Sony technology with Nevion VideoIPath and Merk Solutions support.
Network Address Translation for Sony PN India - Pictures Network India needed to ensure that subtitles and closed captions reached the right audience at the right time, with 20 playout channels broadcasting in multiple languages. Sony chose TSL which deployed its GTP-V1 virtual control platform and Anything to Anything production application with newly developed TSL NAT routing software to interface with other vendors. Ideal Systems was also a technical supporter.
Swift platform for streaming to isolated environments - Swift’s platform delivers live and on-demand content to the world’s most isolated environments -- starting with remote mining camps and expanding to aged care. Powered by Wowza Streaming Engine, it uses local edge servers, predictive caching and custom set-top boxes to operate under extreme bandwidth constraints.
Launch of UGC infinite scroll for Pilipinas Live Shorts - Pilipinas Live Shorts was created by Philippines OTT streaming platform Cignal to provide engaging supplementary content on Pilipinas Live. Powered by Quickplay Shorts, with Twelve Labs multimodal AI understanding, it uses AI to identify, clip and reformat VOD and Live-to-VOD content into 9:16 vertical, short-form videos in an infinite scroll format.
The Future of Football: Bundesliga in 360° and 10K - DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga undertook this project at the 2024 Supercup to revolutionise football broadcasting by offering fans an unparalleled viewing experience, in collaboration with Softseed Technologies. Through the integration of 10K resolution, 3D technology and 360° mixed-reality, it provided a fully immersive stadium atmosphere.
OSN accelerates content for the streaming era - To modernise its media supply chain, Dubai-based Orbit Showtime Network partnered with Prime Focus Technologies to deploy the Clear AI platform, automating complex tasks like segmentation, ad marker creation, metadata enrichment, compliance and social media packaging. The initiative drastically reduces manual effort by up to 60%, accelerates time-to-air by 20% and lowers operational costs by ~20%.
XR Sports Alliance E1 Series deployment - The UIM E1 World Championship is the world’s first all-electric racing boat series. E1 joined the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) at the beginning of 2025 to help accelerate its move into more immersive viewing experiences. The XRSA was founded by Accedo, HBS and Qualcomm to bring together stakeholders to bridge the sports and XR industry.
Global streaming architecture for BritBox - Working with Evergent Technologies, BritBox International developed an integrated approach that would enable expansion from one country to seven within five years. The collaboration created a unified subscriber management architecture that addresses three critical ‘Content Everywhere’ challenges: cross-platform identity consistency, multi-region monetisation flexibility, and partnership integration scalability.
Monumental Game Center - Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), a regional sports network in Washington, DC, utilised Play Anywhere technology to become the first local media rights holder in the United States to provide live in-game betting to its professional basketball and hockey viewers. Graphics were provided by Ease Live and live odds were supplied in cooperation with BetMGM.
SVT-AV1: Alliance for Open Media, Intel and Meta - To make video streaming viable on low-end mobile devices and low-bandwidth networks, Meta and Intel collaborated to develop a software decoding-friendly mode of the AOMedia Scalable Video Technology for AV1 (SVT-AV1) software encoder. Meta in 2025 now delivers more than 50% of Facebook and Instragram video watch time using AV1.
Seven Network geolocation targets news and AFL - In the first deal of its kind, the Australian Football League sold broadcast rights to both Seven and Foxtel/Kayo. Combining with GeoComply, alongside technical support from Accedo, Akamai, AWS, Brightcove, Irdeto, Kingsmead Security, MUX, NPC Media/Imagine Communications, New Relic, Touchstream and YoSpace, Seven developed a solution to accurately and securely target news, matches and advertising.
Real-time interactive streaming for global hybrid events - Sparkup’s goal was clear: enable thousands of participants to connect, engage, react and share feedback in enterprise townhall events. Quanteec and Ceeblue needed to architect a peer-assisted, P2P-distributed solution that could conquer latency, preserve interactivity, traverse firewalls and scale horizontally.
Claro tv+ and Omni Devices unify passion for football - Claro tv+ launched an interactive remote control that solves football fans' frustration with the fragmentation of broadcasting rights. Developed with Omni Devices, the remote features an exclusive button with the user’s favourite team crest, taking them directly to the game across any channel or app, with voice command support. Technical supporters also included Teleidea Middleware and Gracenote.
EMG / Gravity Media’s audio remote production workflows. Completing its latest expansion phase with three Calrec Audio Argo consoles and ImPulse DSP cores onto its flexible audio infrastructure, EMG / Gravity Media’s Remote Operation Centre is helping it to transform live broadcasting into more sustainable and adaptable workflows that support multiple live sports and events.
Evoke 5000B represents a breakthrough by Chinese manufacturer Nanlux in environmentally sustainable lighting for film and TV. Delivering similar output to a 20,000W tungsten light from a 5,000W LED draw, it reduces energy use by approx 75%. It has battery support and no reliance on fossil fuel generators. Sustainability is also at the core of the production process.
Green Film Shooting is an independent initiative in Germany for the film and media industry to spread the word via its platforms about innovative solutions that help to increase energy efficiency, save resources and cut carbon emissions. It brings creatives together to exchange experiences, share knowledge and to inspire the film and media community.
Shape’s Basecamp – Redefining Portable, Sustainable Power for the creative industry. Made by by Shape in Canada, Basecamp is a battery-electric power station designed to replace fuel-based generators. It uses LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery technology to deliver high-capacity, clean power in most settings —from remote outdoor shoots to controlled studio environments.
World First Greening Live Broadcasts - Korea-based SK Telecom's Supernova AI algorithms optimised for Rebellions X330 NPU hardware, integrated by Pixtree, enabled real-time FHD-to-UHD conversion previously considered impossible for live broadcasting. It featured energy-efficient UHD upscaling with NPU acceleration for a sustainable IPTV Service. Technical supporters include Take Shape
D2M Broadcast: Revolutionizing Digital Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability Tejas's D2M broadcast uses direct-to-mobile technology to provide access to educational content and emergency alerts, without relying on internet connectivity, allowing equitable access for both rural and urban schools. The project was commissioned by a consortium of educational institutions, technology companies, and government agencies in India. Technical Supporter is Saankhya Labs.
DiSTech – From WiSTech to a New Era of DEIB in Media - Following the success of the WiSTech (Women in Stream Technology) initiative launched in August 2023, Bitmovin, in partnership with FFG, secured funding for the second iteration of the project in April 2025, and has started to implement DiSTech (Diversity in Streaming Technology), which aims to build on WiSTech and take a broader view of diversity. Supporters include the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)
Empowering Citizen Advocacy and Social Justice Through Technology - Quadrant2, in partnership with Wowza, transformed mobile video into a tool for social justice. The Mobile Justice app, developed with the American Civil Liberties Union, enables citizens to document law enforcement encounters in real time and securely upload evidence for legal and public review. Technical partners include Jotto.
France Télévisions Pioneers Transparency and Trust in Journalism leveraging C2PA - France Télévisions, in partnership with Dalet, implemented a groundbreaking C2PA-enabled content authentication workflow in its Journal de 20h newsroom. This solution digitally certifies each news report during editorial validation, binding provenance data from production systems and ensuring authenticity. Viewers can easily verify this information through a custom C2PA-enabled player.
Nelco Media and Ross Video’s Multiroom Broadcast Solution at the Texas House of Representatives - Designed to enhance transparency and engagement between elected officials and their communities, promoting trust, accountability, and meaningful societal impact, the project delivered a scalable, end-to-end broadcast and communication solution across multiple committee rooms, TV and podcast studios. The innovation allows over 150 representatives to connect with constituents while in session.
Neurodiversity Mentoring Programme - The Neurodiversity Mentoring Programme by Media Talent Manifesto is a pioneering UK initiative supporting neurodivergent professionals in the media and broadcast sector. Launched in 2024, it offers tailored 1:1 mentoring, peer-group support, and specialist training for employers. Supporters include Deluxe, Vizrt and Molinare.
RTMKlik 2.0- CitaRakyat: Innovating with Purpose, Broadcasting with Heart - RTMKlik 2.0 is a national digital media transformation by Malaysia’s public broadcaster, RTM. It introduces four innovations—real-time multilingual transcription, curated FAST channels, a culturally-aware recommendation engine, and playback optimisation using Common Media Client Data (CMCD)—to bridge the digital and civic divide. The platform connects underserved communities and fosters inclusive public service media. Technical supporters include Integriti Padu Sdn. Bhd, Amazon Web Services, Bitmovin, Amagi, GlueMPS and Triton Digital
SmallRig - Launching in 2024, the global SmallRig Awards and Short Film Programme seeks to empower creators worldwide to produce impactful, visual stories highlighting kindness, overlooked social issues, sustainability, and justice. With the theme "See it, Change it," it attracted nearly 4,000 entries from 120+ countries.
SOUV: Amplifying Riverside Voices in the Amazon - SOUV by SNEWS enables newsrooms to receive real-time content from underserved regions through mobile contribution. In partnership with Rede Amazônica, one of Brazil’s largest broadcasters, the platform empowered riverside communities in the Amazon to submit stories using a white-label app called “Eu Amazônia.” The project combines audience engagement, AI tools, and cloud infrastructure to deliver a scalable, socially impactful solution for decentralised news production.
VU Gear - Entertaining, Educating and Empowering Nepal - VU Gear is transforming Nepal’s media landscape by connecting over 600,000 households through leading ISPs and IPTV/OTT providers. VU Gear has enabled a smooth transition from traditional cable to IPTV set-top-box services and now to set-top-box-free streaming via apps on big screens, mobile devices, and web browsers. Not just convenience, this innovation acts as a catalyst for social inclusion, education, and entertainment. Technical supporters are WorldLink Communications and Kalash VNPT Technology.
Equality for users: On-Device AI 8K Genie IPTV - The AI 8K Genie is an embedded system set-top box that allows people who face vulnerable situations to enjoy digital content equally. Created by KT, a leader in the Korean IPTV market, in collaboration with set-top box manufacturer Marusys, Genie TV Set-top Box 4 features the world's first 8K UHD with functions that address issues for people hard of hearing, the elderly and unskilled users.
