The Media+Tech Collective this week brought together teams of college students to pitch potential solutions that build off Comcast’s broadband and video businesses.
The latest annual Innovation Challenge, which started in 2007 as the Cable Apprentice, was narrowed down to three teams from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, the University of Colorado – Denver Business School and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs College of Business, before a winner was selected Friday.
The DU team pitched Xfinity Flex Reconnect, a product that integrates streaming services alongside a video playlist and a Friends Feed for co-watching; the UCCS team pitched the Universal Xfinity Experience, a smart device that allows users to control and access video, home security, education, home health and wireless services; and the UC team pitched Comcast Health, a smart platform for health care facilities that securely aggregates data and records alongside streaming video and information services.
RELATED: Deeper Dive—Why a cable industry association chose now to change
MTC Innovation Challenge judges for the competition were Allie Borg, vice president of product and consumer marketing at Comcast; Cheryl Davis, vice president of video product at Spectrum; and Ian Olgeirson, research director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
After each team was given 15 minutes for presentations and an additional five minutes for Q&A, the judges deliberated. In the end, the DU team won over the judges with its strategy objective to reinvigorate, revitalize and reconnect with consumers.
This year's Challenge not only had a new name to go along with the Collective's recent rebranding, it was also conducted entirely online. But Charlotte Bockstahler, president of the Media+Tech Collective, said enthusiasm was still high around the event.
“The MTC signature event’s ‘battle of the schools’ element of the competition has added great excitement and interest for our approximately 300 members,” she said. “As the MTC expands and grows as an organization, the Innovation Challenge will be at the forefront. The Innovation Challenge presents a unique combination of entertainment value, plus education for our members, engagement with the area educational institutions, and a definite contribution to our industry talent pool, and more.”
Bockstahler told Fierce Video that over the past few years, many of the students participating in the challenge have never even had cable television. She said the challenge has in part become helping these students understand how the industry has evolved and got to the point where it’s at, and then having them try to solve the challenges.
“Often these companies are trying to sell to that generation, so their perspective can be really valuable,” she said.