Samsung Sports Live
Enriching live sports viewing
Samsung Sports Live, a TV app for enhanced sports viewing, offers on-demand game information, putting fans in control of relevant sports data, content, and commentary at their convenience. It also allows viewers to access in-game notifications while watching a different event or show.
Our initial focus was on the NFL, given its high popularity in the U.S., with plans to later include sports like the NBA and MLB. The app is designed to be lightweight, providing statistics for both the game being watched and other ongoing games.
Ultimately, we discontinued this TV app as my team's focus shifted. The insights gained from developing the app guided us in building a more robust experience on the Tizen TV OS, which launched as the new product, Samsung EXTRA™
MAUs
# of sports leagues
Many sports fans, 1 out of 6, engage in Fantasy Sports during the regular season and use a service to track stats while watching live games. These fans often find themselves distracted from the game as they navigate through multiple steps on a mobile device or website to find information. The process of unlocking their device, opening the app, and viewing stats during the game demands cognitive effort, diverting their focus.
Nineteen in-home visits were conducted last year during the NFL, NBA, and MLB seasons to gather information for our personas. These insights into the users' video consumption and social media habits informed our decisions on 'content extras' to prioritize.
Managing information density
For live TV broadcasts featuring scoreboards and sports data HUDs, we faced the challenge of deciding which information was most valuable. Our hypothesis was that while loyal fans might desire detailed data, they would likely turn to a mobile device or laptop for more in-depth information consumption
App load time and data latency
On lower-end TV models with less powerful hardware and chips, we encountered performance issues, particularly during the app's metadata loading phase. To address this, we simplified the user experience by minimizing the use of blurs and animations. Additionally, we implemented strategies like progressive image loading, skeleton screens, and loading animations to subtly engage users and mitigate the perception of prolonged loading times
Co-exist with the game
Sports broadcasts include various TV graphics or "sports bugs" like statistics, scoreboards, sponsorships, and breaking news. These elements are part of the TV feed, so we needed to design our layout to coexist with these graphics effectively, while also presenting high-value data to the user.
Increase immediacy, data at your fingertips
Sports viewers engage differently before, during, and after a game. Our user research indicated that the in-game phase was critical. Specifically, in NFL games, the camera focuses centrally and follows the football, whereas in NBA games, the action spans the entire screen, often at the left and right ends. This insight guided our approach to making data immediately accessible, tailored to the unique viewing experiences of NFL and NBA games.
I collaborated with our Creative Director to define the early design system for the app
After launch we expanded to NBA and MLB followed by Soccer (Champions League), College Basketball - March Madness, and NHL Hockey.
