The award was announced in Singapore where judges selected the most outstanding broadcast projects across countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

MĀORI+ took the Aotearoa, New Zealand award for OTT – Over The Top platform - where content is streamed via the internet directly for audiences to access at any time on demand.

The award recognised a collaboration between Whakaata Māori and global technology provider, Accedo, to update MĀORI+ with new features, speed and efficiency to provide unique, indigenous and home-grown content.  

Kaiurungi Hangarau | Director of Technology for Whakaata Māori, Andrew McNaughton, says the refresh with Accedo provided expertise in digital advancement to promote engaging te reo and tikanga Māori content through a world-class on demand service.

“We have been able to completely revitalise the MĀORI+ platform, successfully increasing accessibility and viewer engagement,” he says.  

“We are excited with the results.  The revitalized app enables us to deliver a more personalised experience to our audiences by the introduction of personal profiles including children’s profiles. Parents can manage what their children view and ensure they only access age-appropriate content.”

Accedo Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, Matt Kossatz, celebrated the popularity of MĀORI+ and said the win underscored a commitment to innovative solutions that empower platforms like MĀORI+ to promote and celebrate indigenous languages.

The international win follows a record number of audiences tuning in to MĀORI+ between February and May with an unprecedented 210% viewership growth.

The surge was driven by 1.4 million video streams during Whakaata Māori coverage of the recent senior kapa haka regionals, with 75% tuning in via their mobiles for livestream and on demand viewing.

The exclusive Home of Haka coverage was propelled further when a behind the scenes warm-up with Te Whānau a Apanui reached 9.4 million globally on TikTok, the highest Whakaata Māori social post in history.

MĀORI+ was launched in 2021 and has been recognised as one of the top streaming services in the country.  The new refresh was launched in January 2024, achieving its first international recognition at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Awards.   MĀORI + delivers free content on demand in both te reo Māori and English and is available across Aotearoa on iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Web. Some content is also available worldwide.

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