Mission
Premier Sports’ arrival on STV marked an exciting new phase for the platform, expanding beyond traditional TV programmes and movies to include premium live sport. The goal was to integrate live sports streaming and catch-up content within 6 months behind a paywall within the STV Player ecosystem, while maintaining a seamless and trusted viewing experience across all devices.
Our broader mission was twofold:
Deliver a smooth, premium subscription experience for Premier Sports viewers.
Attract and retain a younger male demographic, historically one of STV Player’s most challenging audience segments.
Premier Sports Homepage
My Contributions
As one of three in the Product Design team, we led design and UX delivery across the full Premier Sports integration. This involved extensive collaboration between STV’s internal teams, Premier Sports stakeholders, and development partners to align on design, content strategy, and user flow across web, mobile, and Connected TV platforms.
My key contributions included:
Designing the full Premier Sports homepage within STV Player, including live, catch-up, and upcoming event sections.
Creating templates for programme, event, and “Coming Soon” pages optimised for both editorial and live data feeds.
Designing the subscription paywall and sign-up flow, for tvOS and FireTV ensuring frictionless conversion across devices.
Conducting user testing with a generic sports brand prior to launch to maintain confidentiality.
Working closely with the design team and developers to optimise layouts, playback experiences, and subscription logic across mobile, tablet, desktop, and Connected TV.
Establishing visual continuity so Premier Sports felt distinct yet integrated within the STV brand ecosystem.
Premier Sports Leagues
Discovery Phase
Before the Premier Sports partnership was publicly announced, we conducted user testing under a neutral “sports brand” identity to validate early concepts. Testing focused on discoverability, paywall clarity, and purchase intent across devices.
Insights from testing shaped the experience significantly:
Subscription clarity was critical, users wanted to know exactly what was included and how to access it.
Live and on-demand parity was expected; users didn’t differentiate between formats.
Visual cues (team colours, fixtures, match countdowns) played a key role in emotional engagement.
Cross-platform continuity built trust, users expected the same flow across TV, mobile, and desktop.
These insights informed a design strategy that balanced sports energy with STV’s clean, trusted aesthetic, creating a clear pathway from interest to sign-up to viewing.
OTT (Over-the-top, internet tv) Subscriptions
Upcoming event
Impact
The Premier Sports integration was a success both technically and commercially, driving measurable gains across audience, engagement, and retention metrics:
+1000s
Thousands of new paid sign-ups within the first quarter of launch.
60%+
Conversion from trial to paid subscription exceeded 60%, outperforming initial projections.
38%
Male 18–44 viewership increased by 38%, addressing a long-standing audience gap.
25%
Platform engagement up 25% overall, with Connected TV showing the strongest growth in watch time.
27%
Average session time for male users grew by 27%, with increased cross-viewing of STV’s general entertainment content.
Good vibes
Positive sentiment and brand alignment between STV and Premier Sports, strengthening STV’s position as a premium, multi-genre streaming destination.
These results demonstrated that premium live content, when seamlessly integrated, could drive both new revenue streams and broader audience engagement.
Iteration and Evolution
Following launch, analytics and feedback guided rapid improvements:
Streamlined sign-up flow on Connected TVs, reducing drop-off by 20%.
Added “Watch Again” and “Highlights” functionality for popular matches.
These ongoing refinements helped Premier Sports on STV evolve from a launch initiative into a long-term driver of subscription growth and audience diversity.
Updated Live TV & Schedule
With the introduction of Premier Sports we had buy-in to bring Programme Logos to STV Player
Summary
Integrating Premier Sports into STV Player was more than a content expansion — it was a strategic evolution of the platform. By combining premium live sport with STV’s established entertainment catalogue, we successfully reached new audiences, deepened engagement, and reinforced the platform’s value proposition.
Through thoughtful design, close collaboration, and user-centred decision-making, we transformed STV Player into a destination where entertainment and sport coexist seamlessly — growing viewership, subscriptions, and loyalty across the board.