Design Lead
/
TV App
/
Sky Sports Plus
(
2
)
/ About the project
Sky acquired the rights to stream significantly more live sports content, leading to a price increase for customers. The challenge was to showcase the breadth of this new content in a way that justified the cost and retained users, with the primary goal of minimising downgrades from the updated Sky Sports package.
As lead designer, my self and one other lead designer guided a team of eight to create a new TV experience capable of handling the expanded content. This involved designing for the scale and scheduling complexity of increased live events while balancing innovation with familiar patterns that existing Sky TV customers were accustomed to. The solution also needed to function as a standalone app, separate from Sky’s existing OS, with the flexibility to extend beyond Sky devices to third-party TVs and gaming consoles.
My role included setting design principles, mentoring the team, and ensuring our work aligned with Sky’s business objectives and the established Sky Sports ecosystem. I also drove conversations with key stakeholders to ensure the design team’s voice was heard, and that decisions were clear and strategically sound throughout the process.
/ Credits
Client:
Sky Sports
My Role:
Design Lead
/ Year
2024
/ Approach
Through regular senior leadership meetings, my lead partner and I took responsibility for interpreting the brief and delegating areas of discovery to our team. These areas became the key pillars of the design, which we developed into wireframes and tested with users in our on-site lab to gather deeper insights.
We designed the architecture of the new TV app, ensuring it aligned with Sky’s existing products to maintain familiarity for users. I focused on balancing business objectives with technical feasibility, ensuring the designs met company goals without compromising on quality or innovation.
While the initial vision was ambitious, we made the strategic decision to simplify the product for launch. Stripping back certain features allowed us to meet the deadline for the new sports season and prepare the app for a press demo weeks in advance. The core experience featured ultra-simple navigation, with content categorised in a clear, intuitive way.
We were also able to include several standout features in the live playback experience. Based on user feedback, we prioritised tools that reflected real viewing habits – such as event recaps, alternative camera angles, the ability to switch between events, and live score checking. These features addressed common second-screen behaviours, enhancing the overall experience without overwhelming users.
/ Results
The final product was launched in time for the new sports season and showcased to the UK press through a presentation and visuals that I art-directed. The app successfully supported 100 concurrent live events and streamed over 1,000 live events from the Championship, League One, League Two and many more. User feedback and engagement were strong, with over 90% of customers recognising the value of the expanded offering and accepting the price increase, helping Sky meet its retention targets.
This project not only expanded Sky’s sports offerings but also created a scalable platform capable of reaching beyond Sky devices, setting the stage for future growth across third-party platforms.
concurrent live events available via the app.
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