Frankfurt/Munich, 01 June 2022. The winners of the "Connect! The Smart TV Award 2022" have been announced. The MEDIENTAGE MÜNCHEN and the Deutsche TV-Plattform awarded the best innovations, apps and services for connected TV in three categories. In addition, the jury awarded a special prize for the first time this year.

CONNECT! THE SMART TV AWARD: The winners of the award ceremony on 31 May 2022

Category Feels like Magic - Best Technological Innovation
Winner: ARTE - ARTE G.E.I.E.
Jury statement: The ARTE app distinguishes an innovative linking of the attractively packaged linear programme with curated on-demand content. This allows viewers to immerse themselves even more deeply in the world of ARTE. Despite the wide range of content on offer, the app is easy to use and individual content can be found effortlessly.

Category Like2Use - Best User Experience
Winner: kicker - Olympia-Verlag GmbH

Jury statement: The kicker app is the CNN of sport. It bundles a multitude of different current sporting events, also beyond professional football. Other sports, including amateur sports, are covered in detail and with journalistic depth. The app is a prime example of the successful transformation of a classic medium to other digital platforms.           

Category Good2CU - Best Special Interest Offer
Winner: ARTE - ARTE G.E.I.E.
Jury statement: The Arte app also wins the Special Interest category because it offers a comprehensive range of European culture, films, series and music that goes far beyond the spectrum of the linear ARTE programme. Additional languages not offered in the linear programme are also available.

Special Award: Zattoo Ukrainian TV - zattoo.com/ukraine - Zattoo Deutschland GmbH 
Jury statement: Since mid-March, Zattoo has also been offering Ukrainian channels, which are available worldwide and free of charge. The Ukrainian TV project enables people who have been forced to leave their homes due to the ongoing war to continue watching Ukrainian TV via the Internet. Zattoo's commitment to create a new platform in such a short time is outstanding and is therefore awarded a special accolade.

The winners were selected by a jury of five experts: Christine Gebhard (film-tv-video.de), Prof. Dr. Heidi Krömker (TU Ilmenau), Jan Möllendorf (defacto x), Kathleen Schröter (ootiboo) and Torsten Zarges (DWDL). The award is supported by MedienNetzwerk Bayern.

Andre Prahl, Chairman of the Deutsche TV-Plattform: "Congratulations to the winners of the Smart TV Awards 2022! The winning services are prime examples of modern, interactive television that offers tangible added value for viewers and customers. I would like to express my sincere thanks to MEDIENTAGE MÜNCHEN for the excellent cooperation and to MedienNetzwerk Bayern for their valuable support."

Stefan Sutor, Managing Director of Medien.Bayern GmbH: "Video offers enormous potential for content providers, platforms, ad tech providers and advertisers. This is shown not least by the winners of our Connect! Awards. They are prime examples of what modern and interactive television can look like and what added value is created for viewers. We warmly congratulate the award winners on their innovative products and services."

The "Connect! The Smart TV Award" was presented at the end of the MEDIENTAGE Special "Connect! The Future of TV". The special took place for the seventh time this year and was dedicated to the world of networked television in lectures and discussion rounds. The award was presented for the third time.

The event was moderated by Carine Lea Chardon (ZVEI / Deutsche TV-Plattform) and Dr. Jörn Krieger (media journalist).

A summary of the event can be found in the MEDIENTAGE MÜNCHEN Live Blog https://medientage.de/connect-liveblog/