Project overview
Introduction
In 2022, StarHub, a Singapore-based telecom leader, won the Premier League (PL) broadcasting rights from Singtel, ending its rival’s dominance.
Beside the pricing and contract negotiations, the user experience (UX) proposal played a big role and significantly contributed to this success.
My role
As Senior UI/UX Designer, I led the design vision, driving the ideation workshop and crafting an UX proposal to outshine Singtel’s fragmented platform.
Collaborating with product managers and stakeholders to position StarHub as a fan-centric contender. This case study explores how UX fueled this victory.
Impacts
Between October 2021 and February 2022, the strategic proposal that directly contributed to winning the Premier League broadcast rights, securing exclusive coverage for the next 6 seasons as well as +7,6% increment in customer base.
SEASONS OF EXCLUSIVE
BROADCASTING RIGHTS
GROWTH IN CUSTOMER BASE
WITH FOOTBALL FANS ONBOARD
RESEARCH
1.1 Overcome the legacy
Singtel, Singapore’s top sports broadcaster, held the Premier League rights in 2022 with a strong subscriber base. However, its UX lagged, creating an opportunity for us at StarHub, we conducted a quick competitor analysis to assess Singtel’s existing features and experiences on multiple platforms and pinpoint the gaps.
These weaknesses, rooted in Singtel’s outdated & fragmented UX, gave StarHub a clear path to differentiate with a better user-focused experience.
Basic Functionality on TV:
No stats, lineups, or replays
No Fixture, results
Lacking depth in information provided to viewer
Fragmented Ecosystem:
Many features are mobile-only, forcing users to switch devices to gain access to info.
No Football portal on TV.
No high quality streaming (up to 4K) on mobile.
1.2 The Approach: Shaping a UX Strategy
An ideation workshop was conducted with 8 stakeholders from Products, Marketing and internal football fans to craft a winning UX strategy. The goal was to pinpoint Singtel’s weaknesses, understand fan frustrations, and design features that would set StarHub apart in its Premier League bid.
The workshop kicked off with an icebreaker: “Worst Football Streaming Experience.” Each participant shared 1 - 2 personal pain points they are having with current sport platforms they are watching like Singtel.
Through affinity mapping, we focused on the following three core themes:
Fragmented Access: Fans hated switching devices for basic info—fixtures, results, and tables were mobile-only, while TV users got a stripped-down experience.
Lack of Control: Singtel’s basic interface offered no replay options, live stats, or ways to skip to key moments, leaving viewers powerless over their experience.
Poor Social Connectivity: Solo viewing dominated, with no co-watching features or spoiler protection, alienating fans who craved a shared football vibe.
Next, we defined three quick archetypes to anchor the strategy around user's behavior & mindset:
Die-Hard Fan: Tracks every game, obsesses over stats and replays, and catching up with multiple matches.
Casual Viewer: Watches 1–2 matches weekly, prioritizes highlights, and prefers simplicity over clutter.
Social Watcher: Thrives on watch parties, shares moments, and seeks a communal experience.
The workshop then pivoted to solutions, using “How Might We enhance the football streaming experience for each of the archetype?” prompts to brainstorm features. Ideas flowed:
DESIGN
Armed with the workshop’s ideas, we prepared the proposal outlined a transformative UX, with each feature addressing specific user needs and Singtel’s gaps.
- Seamless Access
- Content Richness
- Advanced Tools
- Social Engagement
2.1 Seamless access
Deeplinking from the StarHub TV app (across Android TV, mobile, and web) to a dedicated PL page streamlined access, reducing friction with a single entry point, address Singtel's weakness that forced users to juggle separate apps and devices, with no smooth transition between them.
2.2 Content Richness
Catch-Up on PL Landing Page: This feature put recent matches on the PL landing page, give "instant content access, across platforms" to the all users.
Highlights of recent matches on PL landing page: Singtel only has highlights on mobile, neglecting TV users. Dedicated highlight videos, accessible across platforms, outpacing Singtel’s limited offering.
Player/Club Rankings information: Singtel’s lack of stats left Die-Hard Fans underserved, a “lack of control” gap the workshop exposed. These fans craved seasonal data to analyze performance and detailed rankings across devices, offering depth that Singtel couldn’t match.
Unified Fixtures/Results: Singtel’s mobile-only fixtures and results frustrated TV viewers—a “fragmented access” pain point flagged.
Casual Viewers needed quick updates on big screens, while Die-Hard Fans even demanded on the go. Unifying this data across platforms eliminated device-hopping and boosting overall convenience.
2.3 Advance tools
Event Timeline on Player: Singtel’s lack of replay control—unable to revisit goals or penalties—topped the workshop’s “lack of control”. Die-Hard Fans needed precision. The Event Timeline let users jump to any key moments in live or catch-up with any missed event during the game.
Match Stats Overlay: Singtel’s basic scores ignored Die-Hard Fans’ hunger for live stats. The overlay delivered real-time insights like possession and shots, enhancing analysis during matches.
2.4 Social Engagement
Party Watch: : Singtel ignored Social Watchers’ love for shared moments while this feature we added will create a pub-like vibe experience for all the friends, football fans to share their excitement.
Multiplex Screens: Singtel’s single-feed limitation missed Die-Hard Fans tracking multiple games, another “lack of control” frustration. Multiplex Screens allowed simultaneous streams, empowering users to customize their experience.
REFLECTIONS
StarHub’s 2022 victory over Singtel highlighted the power of UX, but it’s worth reflecting on what we did well and where we could improve.
What We Did Well:
User-Centric Design: The workshop’s deep dive into pain points—fragmentation, control, and social connectivity—ensured our features, like Event Timeline and Party Watch, directly addressed fan needs, resonating with Casual Viewers, Die-Hard Fans, and Social Watchers alike.
Competitive Edge: By targeting Singtel’s weaknesses with a unified, innovative platform, we turned their fragmentation into our strength, winning the Premier League’s trust.
Team Collaboration: aligning designers, product managers, and real internal football fans delivered a cohesive pitch, proving cross-functional synergy was key to success.
What We Could Do Better:
Post-Launch Feedback: We celebrated the success but a structured follow-up with users could have identified tweaks to sustain momentum, validate all of our assumptions.