Categories

Platform of the Year

This award celebrates the world’s most outstanding sports OTT platform of 2020.

Innovation of the Year

This category will recognise a new feature, technology or product that has enhanced the consumption and use of OTT platforms.

Best Tech Company

This award recognises the company that’s driving the growth and disruption of the sports OTT industry via the use of technological innovation.

Best Lockdown Solution

This award recognises the most innovative content strategy or technology development for assisting sports through the COVID-19 pandemic

Best User Experience

This category is for platforms and services that deliver an intuitive, interactive and flexible user experience that drives greater retention and consumption of sport.

Emerging Tech Company of the Year

This award recognises the most innovative and emerging technology company impacting the OTT industry.

Best in Fan Engagement

This award is for those companies who are successfully building passionate and loyal communities around their OTT platforms and services.

Best New Platform

This award recognises the most successful launch or re-launch of an OTT platform either direct to consumer or aggregator to the market.

Best Original Content

This award recognises the best long-form content created for an OTT platform outside of live sports.

Best Use of Social Media

This award recognises the most innovative and creative strategy for implementing social media within a digital OTT strategy.

Best in Anti-Piracy

This category is for the rights owners, technologies and service providers that are leading the fight against piracy of live sports across the globe.

Best Digital First Production

This award will recognise those that have developed technology, platforms or experiences that prioritise the growing demands of the digital consumer.

Best Marketing Campaign

This award is for campaigns that have driven awareness, excitement, engagement and revenues around OTT platforms, rights and events within the qualifying period.

Best Start Up Tech Company

This award recognises the most impactful technology company entering the OTT industry.
Judges
To ensure a fair, impartial and independent process, SportsPro have recruited an expert judging panel, balancing senior OTT stakeholders from international rights holders, broadcasters and technology leaders including DAZN, UEFA, Sky Sports, beIN Media, ATP, Twitter and many more.
Our independent panel offer an unrivalled pool of expertise & knowledge to ensure judging criteria is met by only the most rigorous of standards.

Ben Lavender
Chief Product Officer
DAZN
Ben joined DAZN in 2015 as Chief Product Officer. In this role, he oversees all product innovations and new features for the revolutionary sport streaming service that is available on over 96% of devices in all live markets. Prior to DAZN, he was at Amazon as product leader for the Amazon Video Store. Ben has also worked at LOVEFiLM where he was the Digital Product Director launching their streaming video service on web, mobile and TV devices; which was acquired by Amazon. Before this he was at the BBC where he created BBC iPlayer. Ben has been named as one of the top ten technology and Internet innovators in the world by The Observer.

Bhavesh Patel
Global Digital Director and Media
beIN Media Group
Bhavesh Patel is currently the Chief Digital Officer at beIN Media Group based in Paris. He is working on building their next generation global OTT platform and driving innovation across the group. Prior, Bhavesh was an OTT strategy advisor for CBS Studios International and Verizon Go90, headed up Betfair’s US horserace wagering business, and led the launch of FOX Soccer 2 Go and NBA International League Pass.

Rufus Hack
Chief Operations Officer
European Tour
Mr Hack is responsible for driving the European Tour’s media and digital strategy creating significant growth in fan engagement across its digital channels. In addition Mr Hack heads up the group strategy function driving strategic alliances with other global golfing organisations and introducing format innovation to the sport. He also sits on the Board of European Tour Productions, which is the world’s largest producer of live golf content.

Louisa Clark
Head of Business Development & Broadcast Partnering
BT Sport
Louisa has worked at BT (Consumer) since the evolution of BT TV and was heavily involved in the launch of BTSport after BT secured its first set of key rights for the Premier League. Working in Business Development across the BT business, but with a core focus on Sport and TV, Louisa has negotiated commercial agreements with all sizes of partners critical in delivering amazing customer experiences across devices and channels. Building long-term partnerships with rightsholders, broadcast infrastructure suppliers and social media partners with a view to developing new ways to deliver content (Subscription, Free-to-Air, Pay-per-view), whilst bringing value to consumers and the BT TV and BT Sport businesses. Born and raised in the north-east of England but living with her two children in Hertfordshire who keep her on her toes and in touch with what today’s younger consumers demand from content and the viewing experience.

Andrew Hall
Digital Director
ATP Media – Tennis TV
Andrew Hall is Digital Product Director at ATP Media, responsible for the company’s award-winning subscription OTT product, Tennis TV, which offers consumers around the world live HD tennis across mobile, web and streaming devices. The latest incarnation of Tennis TV was launched in time for the 2017 season, and offers subscribers up to 2,000 live matches from 64 ATP tournaments every year as well as on-demand replays, highlights, features and classic matches.

Thierry Pascal
SVP, International Media
PGA Tour
Thierry Pascal has lead the PGA TOUR’s international media business since 2012. Based out of the PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Thierry manages a team based in the US, London, Beijing and Tokyo. He has overseen the growth of the media business that now worldwide sees PGA TOUR tournaments broadcast to more than 1.1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 23 languages. Born in London, Thierry has worked in the sports media business for over 20 years, including postings in the UK, Middle East and Singapore with Sportsworld and Parallel Media Group. He joined the PGA TOUR in 2004.

Victoria Cotton
Executive Editor, Live Streaming
BBC Sport
Victoria Cotton is BBC Sport’s Executive Editor for live streaming. She is responsible for the commissioning of content and for further developing the live digital strategy that delivered over 3000 extra hours of live sport to BBC platforms last year. She is also their BBC women’s sport lead and oversees Get Inspired, the BBC Sport’s participation strand.

Gil Moran
VP, Business Strategy & Operations Digital Media
NFL Media
VP of Strategy & Operations at NFL Media; Gil oversees the Owned & Operated DTC business, including new product development.
Prior to joining the NFL, Gil was a Partner at a top-tier consulting firm in the Media & Entertainment practice, during which he worked with major Hollywood studios, national distributors, major OTT platforms, etc.
Gil’s experience spans internationally having lived and worked in many different countries (UK, Spain, Italy, Israel, Australia, Kenya).
Receive global recognition amongst your peers
Showcase your creative talent and innovative products
Be honoured as the best in the business