{"id":897615,"date":"2026-04-08T03:12:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/youtube-cbs-sports-and-the-walt-disney-company-are-among-the-2026-digiday-video-and-tv-award-winners\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T03:12:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:12:33","slug":"youtube-cbs-sports-and-the-walt-disney-company-are-among-the-2026-digiday-video-and-tv-award-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/youtube-cbs-sports-and-the-walt-disney-company-are-among-the-2026-digiday-video-and-tv-award-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube, CBS Sports and The Walt Disney Company are among the 2026 Digiday Video and TV Award Winners\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Digiday Awards<\/a><\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 April 7, 2026<\/span> \u00a0\u2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This year\u2019s winners highlight how brands are reshaping video and TV through storytelling, collaboration and technology. Campaigns leaned into emotional narratives and creator partnerships to build deeper audience connections, while advances in ad tech and other emerging tools enabled more seamless integration with content. Across platforms, social video played a central role in driving engagement and reach. Together, these efforts reflect an industry evolving toward more immersive, participatory and technologically driven storytelling.<\/p>\n

YouTube was named Best Digital Video Platform for proving it can deliver short-form, long-form and live content at an unmatched global scale. The platform enables creators to build audiences across formats while turning videos into shared cultural moments, from gaming communities surpassing one trillion views to record-setting live sports broadcasts. With reach spanning more than 230 countries and tens of millions of engagements, YouTube demonstrated its ability to sustain participation and influence across audiences. In a fragmented media landscape, it remains a central hub where creators, viewers and culture converge.<\/p>\n

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YouTube also secured the award for Best UGC Integration Strategy for spotlighting its musical theater community through a campaign that blended fan content with professional production. Centered on a 24-hour platform takeover and the original medley \u201cTheater Kid Energy,\u201d the effort wove user-generated content into a staged performance featuring creators and Broadway talent. Filmed to mirror a live production, the video incorporated fan references and comments, turning audience participation into storytelling. The campaign drew millions of views and strong engagement, demonstrating how YouTube can elevate community-driven content into shared cultural moments.<\/p>\n

For Best FAST Channel, CBS Sports HQ clinched the win by redefining free streaming sports coverage with a live-first approach. Operating 24\/7, the network delivers real-time news, highlights and analysis rather than relying on replays, supported by a full-scale production and editorial infrastructure. Its broad distribution across CTV, mobile and streaming platforms has driven record viewership growth and strengthened its reputation for immediacy and reliability. With original programming and continuous coverage, CBS Sports HQ has set a new standard for how live sports journalism operates in the FAST ecosystem.<\/p>\n

The Walt Disney Company was awarded Best Streaming Service for redefining sports viewing through ESPN\u2019s direct-to-consumer platform. By consolidating live games, original programming and highlights into a single app, ESPN expanded access while introducing features that made viewing more interactive and personalized. Tools like StreamCenter and AI-driven highlights tailored content to individual fans, while mobile-first formats broadened engagement. The platform drove record consumption and digital reach, outperforming competitors and influencing wider industry shifts toward streaming-first models. In doing so, ESPN set a new standard for how sports content is delivered and experienced.<\/p>\n

Explore all the winners of this year\u2019s Digiday Video and TV Awards below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Best Ad<\/strong>
Armchair Quarterback: Bud Light<\/p>\n

Best Ad Tech Innovation<\/strong>
EMG\u2019s Maven <\/p>\n

Best Brand Film or Series<\/strong>
Transmission \u2013 Who is\u2026 Watson? The Day AI Went Prime Time<\/p>\n

Best CTV Ad Tech Platform<\/strong>
Transmit <\/p>\n

Best Digital Video Platform<\/strong>
YouTube<\/p>\n

Best Distribution Strategy<\/strong>
VG<\/p>\n

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Best FAST Channel<\/strong>
CBS Sports HQ<\/p>\n

Best Immersive Video Experience \u2013 NEW<\/strong>
The Weather Channel: Hurricane Milton SurgeFX<\/p>\n

Best Interactive Video Experience<\/strong>
Adobe Firefly \u2013 The Unfinished Film<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Best Measurement Tool<\/strong>
Affinity Solutions & iSpot<\/p>\n

Best Multi-Platform Video Campaign \u2013 NEW<\/strong>
Business Insider and The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless\u00ae Card<\/p>\n

Best Original Programming<\/strong>
Ten100 \/ Xbox \u2013 War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2<\/p>\n

Best Shoppable Content Strategy<\/strong>
LTK \u2013 Creator-Led Social App for Trusted Recommendations<\/p>\n

Best Social Video Campaign<\/strong>
Eli Signing Pizza, Hidden Valley Ranch, Pizza Hut<\/p>\n

Best Streaming Service<\/strong>
ESPN \u2013 The Launch of ESPN DTC<\/p>\n

Best TV\/Streaming Ad Sales Program \u2013 NEW<\/strong>
Redefining \u201cmeaningful\u201d engagement with LGBTQ streamers<\/p>\n

Best UGC Integration Strategy<\/strong>
YouTube Celebrates Musical Theater Creators<\/p>\n

Best Use of AI<\/strong>
Alison.ai Creative Intelligence for Video<\/p>\n

Best Use of Data-Driven Personalization<\/strong>
Polestar drives brand lift with LG Ad Solutions<\/p>\n

Best Use of Live Video<\/strong>
Night of Champions<\/p>\n

Best Use of YouTube<\/strong>
Billy Blip Boss Builds a Global Kids Creator Community<\/p>\n

Best Video Podcast<\/strong>
The Mina Kimes Show<\/p>\n

Most Innovative Advertising Partner<\/strong>
Omaha Productions<\/p>\n

Most Innovative Studio<\/strong>
QYOU Studios<\/p>\n

Most Innovative Video Producer<\/strong>
Joe and Jada Production Team<\/p>\n

Most Innovative Video Sales Executive<\/strong>
Dane Aagaard, Chief Revenue Officerserves, The Volume<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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\n More in Announcement<\/span>
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\n Adobe, Nasdaq and Samsung are 2026 Digiday Video and TV Awards finalists <\/a>
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The 2026 Digiday Video and TV Awards finalists reflect a shift toward more immersive, audience-driven storytelling, where participation is as important as reach. Brands, publishers and agencies are embracing entertainment-first formats and designing content that extends beyond single moments, building sustained engagement across platforms. Premium video and original programming are increasingly amplified through omnichannel strategies [\u2026]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n UBS, New York Times Advertising, Uber Advertising and The Wall Street Journal are Digiday Media Awards Europe finalists <\/a>
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This year, the organizations modernizing European media are pioneering interactive formats that drive engagement and impact, while premium contexts build trust and authority. Digiday Media Awards Europe finalists are also pairing innovation with sustainability, thoughtful design and seamless omnichannel storytelling to enhance user experience across touchpoints. In the Best Use of Interactive Content category, UBS [\u2026]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n Coca-Cola, DIVE, Tribal Worldwide London, Volkswagen, Paper Crowns and Logitech G are Digiday Marketing and Advertising Awards Europe finalists <\/a>
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Brands are blending digital platforms with real-world environments to create immersive, personalized experiences that translate online energy into human connection. From awareness to ownership and advocacy, this year\u2019s Digiday Marketing and Advertising Awards Europe nominees prioritize frictionless journeys that deepen loyalty, strengthen brand perception and deliver sustained business results. In the new Best Out-of-Home Campaign [\u2026]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Digiday Awards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Digiday Awards \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 April 7, 2026 \u00a0\u2022 This year\u2019s winners highlight how brands are reshaping video and TV through storytelling, collaboration and technology. Campaigns leaned into emotional narratives and creator partnerships to build deeper audience connections, while advances in ad tech and other emerging tools enabled more seamless integration with content. Across platforms, social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":897616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[192,46,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-897615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","category-technology","category-youtube"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=897615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/897615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/897616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=897615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=897615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=897615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}