DIRECTV Chief Marketing Officer Vince Torres will receive the inaugural StreamTV Trailblazer Award at this year’s StreamTV Show, recognizing his role in reshaping the company’s television packaging strategy and streaming business.
Questex, the organizer of StreamTV Show, announced the honor on Wednesday. The award is intended to recognize executives who have influenced the streaming industry through leadership, innovation and business transformation.
“We are thrilled to recognize Vince Torres with the inaugural StreamTV Trailblazer Award,” Kevin Gray, the Founder of StreamTV Show and Vice President at Questex, said in a statement. “This award was designed for executives like Vince who embody forward-thinking leadership in a rapidly evolving market.”
Torres has served as DIRECTV‘s Chief Marketing Officer during a period of significant change for the pay television provider as it adapts to shifting consumer viewing habits and increased competition from streaming services.
One of the most visible initiatives under his leadership has been the introduction of DIRECTV’s Genre Packs, a collection of smaller programming packages organized around viewing interests rather than traditional channel bundles.
The strategy debuted with MySports, a contract-free package focused on sports programming. DIRECTV later expanded the concept with MyEntertainment, MyNews, MiEspañol and MyKids, offering consumers alternatives to traditional large-channel packages. Several of the offerings also incorporate streaming services, including ESPN Plus, HBO Max and Disney Plus.
The approach represented a departure from conventional pay television packaging models and reflected broader industry efforts to provide consumers with greater flexibility and choice, Questex noted in a press release.
Torres has spent more than 25 years in marketing and business leadership roles across the technology, media and telecommunications sectors. At DIRECTV, he has overseen efforts to strengthen the company’s position in live sports while modernizing its consumer offerings.
DIRECTV Chief Executive Officer Bill Morrow credited Torres with helping the company respond to increasing fragmentation across the media landscape.
“Recognizing early that the explosion of content, platforms, and viewing options was making the entertainment experience more fragmented, Vince became a strong advocate for consumers and guided our marketing and product organizations to reduce the friction and complexity customers face when accessing the programming they value most,” Morrow said in a statement.
Torres said the recognition reflects the work of the broader DIRECTV organization and its efforts to rethink traditional television models.
“Our industry has a unique opportunity to move beyond traditional models and create experiences built around choice, flexibility and control,” Torres noted.
The award will be presented during The Big Bash event at StreamTV Show on June 17.
The Desk is an editorial partner of this year’s StreamTV Show. Readers can save 10 percent off a conference pass by using the code DESK10 at this registration page.
