Protecting $6 Billion worth of sports rights
Beta
Beta
Case study WIP
DAZN is the world's largest Sports Streaming platform with over 200 countries and territories – Europe being their largest market to date.
This case study focuses on the first implementation of 'seamless concurrency' and how we overcame a variety of challenges to improve some root causes of operational pains and customer experience.
DAZN is the world's largest Sports Streaming platform with over 200 countries and territories – Europe being their largest market to date.
This case study focuses on the first implementation of 'seamless concurrency' and how we overcame a variety of challenges to improve some root causes of operational pains and customer experience.
~10 minute read
~10 minute read
Tim Parkes
Principal Product Designer
Contributions
UI + Visual Design
UI + Visual Design
UX Journeys and flows
UX Journeys and flows
Development handover
Development handover
Stakeholder interviews
Stakeholder interviews
Workshop facilitation
Workshop facilitation
Team set up
Product Director
Principal designer (me)
Back-end Engineering Lead
Senior Copywriter
Security Engineers
Lead technical architects
Project Duration
8-12 months (intermittent)
So… What is concurrency?
So… What is concurrency?
So… What is concurrency?
'Concurrency' is the number of times you can view content simultaneously, with one account, on different devices.
'Concurrency' is the number of times you can view content simultaneously, with one account, on different devices.
'Concurrency' is the number of times you can view content simultaneously, with one account, on different devices.
'Concurrency' is the number of times you can view content simultaneously, with one account, on different devices.
'Concurrency' is the number of times you can view content simultaneously, with one account, on different devices.
Does anyone remember
when Netflix said this?
And then…
~ Losses per annum in EMEA alone
-$1.8 billion
~ Losses per annum in EMEA alone
Password sharing isn't love – it's theft and it costs streaming services billions in lost revenue.
Password sharing isn't love – it's theft and it costs streaming services billions in lost revenue.
~ Losses worldwide
-$3 billion
~ Losses worldwide
*
Based on conservative estimates from 2022-23 EOY figures, with the assumption that a third of all non-paying users would otherwise be a paying subscriber.
Based on conservative estimates from 2022-23 EOY figures, with the assumption that a third of all non-paying users would otherwise be a paying subscriber.
It's a tricky problem to work on.
Calculating variants of time, speed & distances from one device to another is a lot for Engineers.
It's a tricky problem to work on.
Calculating variants of time, speed & distances from one device to another is a lot for Engineers.
DAZN's streaming rules
DAZN's streaming rules
DAZN's streaming rules
Rule #1
Rule #1
Up to 5 devices can be
'registered' per account
Up to 5 devices can be
'registered' per account
Rule #1
Rule #1
Only 2 devices can stream
simultaneously per account
Only 2 devices can stream
simultaneously per account
Breaching the rules
Breaching the rules
When I joined the DAZN this is the error message you would see if you breached the rules.
The mobile flow was what the user had to do to get back online.
“
Let's not make managing your devices too easy, we want to deter would-be account-sharers."
Initial thinking from Product and Engineering
“
Let's not make managing your devices too easy, we want to deter would-be account-sharers."
Initial thinking from Product and Engineering
“
Let's not make managing your devices too easy, we want to deter would-be account-sharers."
Initial thinking from Product and Engineering
The story of the first release of concurrency…
The story of the first release of concurrency…
The story of the first release of concurrency…
Football fans in Italy and Spain are anticipate an exciting day of LaLiga and Serie A action Live on DAZN.
DAZN backend
DAZN backend
#1 Concurrency service
#1 Concurrency service
FAILED: Execute Manage Devices Error:
More than 2 devices (3 detected) on WIFI and IP address.
FAILED:
Execute Manage Devices Error:
More than 2 devices (3 detected) on WIFI and IP address.
We have shared WIFI addresses with our tenancy agreements!
We are not account-sharing!
Just let us watch the football!
So what happened?
So what happened?
So what happened?
Causes
Volume of traffic
+ Concurrency service
V1
+ Shared WIFI & IP addresses
= False positives
Causes
Volume of traffic
+ Concurrency service
V1
+ Shared WIFI & IP addresses
= False positives
Causes
Volume of traffic
+ Concurrency service
V1
+ Shared WIFI & IP addresses
= False positives
Causes
Volume of traffic
+ Concurrency service
V1
+ Shared WIFI & IP addresses
= False positives
Effects
CS lines jammed
Thousands of unhappy fans
Negative press
Damage to brand reputation
No added security
Compensation payments
Effects
CS lines jammed
Thousands of unhappy fans
Negative press
Damage to brand reputation
No added security
Compensation payments
Effects
CS lines jammed
Thousands of unhappy fans
Negative press
Damage to brand reputation
No added security
Compensation payments
Effects
CS lines jammed
Thousands of unhappy fans
Negative press
Damage to brand reputation
No added security
Compensation payments
But why did this happen?
But why did this happen?
Bias #1
Bias #1
Location bias - UK Product and Engineering teams were unaware of 'shared wifi living' use cases in Europe.
Testing the service was done in small batches in the UK where separate Wifi accounts per household is the norm…
Bias #2
Bias #2
Concurrency was perceived as a 'technical-engineering' problem and not a product design problem. It was treated like any other system error, using whatever error templates engineers had available.
Bias #3
Bias #3
The pressures of shipping to meet deadlines can make teams become increasingly insular as they seek to be on time.
“
If you want to go fast go alone , If you want to go far go together."
Old African proverb
“
If you want to go fast go alone , If you want to go far go together."
Old African proverb
The collaboration fallacy is something we all experience at different times in our careers.
'Going it alone' will always inherit more business risk than research and healthy cross-discipline collaboration.
Starting afresh
Starting afresh
Starting afresh
“
Let's get our best UX guys working on this - we need a totally seamless end-to-end concurrency experience."
DAZN CTO
“
Let's get our best UX guys working on this - we need a totally seamless end-to-end concurrency experience."
DAZN CTO
“
Let's get our best UX guys working on this - we need a totally seamless end-to-end concurrency experience."
DAZN CTO
Create stakeholder list
+
Conduct stakeholder interviews
+
Plan and schedule workshops
+
Create stakeholder list
+
Conduct stakeholder interviews
+
Plan and schedule workshops
+
In my experience, talking to all stakeholders and documenting their wants, needs, fears and desires has always been time well spent.
Stakeholder pains
Stakeholder pains
Customer services
Security
Engineering
Product
Design
“
We always anticipate spikes but the Login and sign up experience causes us the most problems. If we fix those then we can be in a better position to cope with the next version of concurrency."
Customer services manager
200% Spikes in CS enquiries during major sporting events
80% of that spike are for lost login credentials
Inadequate Sign up and Sign in experience
No Single Sign on (SSO)
No Password hinting or criteria
Poor affordability and accessibility
Customer services
Security
Engineering
Product
Design
“
We always anticipate spikes but the Login and sign up experience causes us the most problems. If we fix those then we can be in a better position to cope with the next version of concurrency."
Customer services manager
200% Spikes in CS enquiries during major sporting events
80% of that spike are for lost login credentials
Inadequate Sign up and Sign in experience
No Single Sign on (SSO)
No Password hinting or criteria
Poor affordability and accessibility
Customer services
Security
Engineering
Product
Design
“
We always anticipate spikes but the Login and sign up experience causes us the most problems. If we fix those then we can be in a better position to cope with the next version of concurrency."
Customer services manager
200% Spikes in CS enquiries during major sporting events
80% of that spike are for lost login credentials
Inadequate Sign up and Sign in experience
No Single Sign on (SSO)
No Password hinting or criteria
Poor affordability and accessibility
New team manifesto
New team manifesto
New team manifesto
|
Prioritising with MosCOW
Prioritising with MosCOW
Must
Should
Could
Won't
Save our customer services!
PHASE 1
Utilise QR codes for TV
PHASE 1
Use natural language
PHASE 1
Not be an error message
phase 1
Utilise the best of IPv6
Phase 1
Reduce latency to seconds
PHASE 2
Upsell more concurrent. slots
PHASE 3
Ship new subscriptions with more concurrency
PHASE 4
Must
Should
Could
Won't
Save our customer services!
PHASE 1
Utilise QR codes for TV
PHASE 1
Use natural language
PHASE 1
Not be an error message
phase 1
Utilise the best of IPv6
Phase 1
Reduce latency to seconds
PHASE 2
Upsell more concurrent. slots
PHASE 3
Ship new subscriptions & more concurrency
PHASE 4
Save our customer services
Save our customer services
First quick fix
Phase 1.1
No 'technical jargon'
Update messaging
QR code for TV to aid self-help
Improve instructions for self-help
First quick fix
Phase 1.1
No 'technical jargon'
Update messaging
QR code for TV to aid self-help
Improve instructions for self-help
Text field redesign
Phase 1.2
AA Accessibiilty compliant
Define light and dark themes
Improved affordance
First quick fix
Phase 1.2
No 'technical jargon'
Update messaging
QR code for TV to aid self-help
Stress testing
Phase 1.1
Figma playround
Fully configurable
First quick fix
Phase 1.1
No 'technical jargon'
Update messaging
Facilitation
Phase 1.2
Planning, hosting and facilitating UI 'Triage' with all DAZN design teams.
Gather , discuss and test against real use-cases
Define new Sign up and Sign in experience with DAZN BET team
Promote and ensure reuse across all surfaces
First quick fix
Phase 1.2
No 'technical jargon'
Update messaging
QR code for TV to aid self-help
Improve instructions for self-help
Retention
Growth
Retention
Growth
Handover and support
Phase 1.1
Lean on Figma dev tools to keep specs light
Close collabs with Engineers to tease out any edge cases
Conduct 'design QA' and launch the forms DAZN are using today
Handover and support
Phase 1.1
Lean on Figma dev tools to keep specs light
Close collabs with Engineers to tease out any edge cases
Conduct 'design QA' and launch the forms DAZN are using today
Live examples
Still being used on DAZN.com now.
Live examples
Still being used on DAZN.com now.
Increasing security
Increasing security
Brief
Brief
|
Two-factor authentication for DAZN is an entire case study in its own right, so this is just an overview of my inputs and activities.
Minimising friction
security principles
security principles
Security is not the account owner’s problem it is ours.
1
Security is not the account owner’s problem it is ours.
1
No cumbersome setup routines or install of 3rd party apps
2
No cumbersome setup routines or install of 3rd party apps
2
We only challenge users who's devices have the ability to solve it
3
We only challenge users who's devices have the ability to solve it
3
Use the fewest layers that provide a secure service - we are not a bank
4
Use the fewest layers that provide a secure service - we are not a bank
4
Defining Trust
Workshop outcome define the conditions in which we grant playback.
My deliverables
My deliverables
Best practice analysis and competitor research
Best practice analysis and competitor research
Co-define rules of 2FA with product and engineering
Co-define rules of 2FA with product and engineering
Detailed user flows, including happy/unhappy flows and edgecases
Detailed user flows, including happy/unhappy flows and edgecases
Provide scalable components and prototypes in light and dark themes
Provide scalable components and prototypes in light and dark themes
Figma playground for product and copywriting collaboration
Figma playground for product and copywriting collaboration
2FA template exploration
2FA template exploration
Full-stack flows
Defining flows on, from and to all the surfaces utilising mobile as second-screen to complete 2FA challenges.
mobile 2FA Flow example shipped
mobile 2FA Flow example shipped
TV 2FA flow EXAMPLE shipped
TV 2FA flow EXAMPLE shipped
Shaping and shipping upsell
Shaping and shipping upsell
30% fee's on Apple and Google play meant DAZN leadership veto'd any direct one-tap in-app purchasing.
Apple and Google have since been fined €500 million Euros by the European Commission for breaching the digital markets act rules for monopolisation.
This meant funnelling customers to the web unless you were on HTML5 TV or browsers creating payment friction.
Rounds of redundancies left DAZN with skeleton staff for data analysis meaning that obtaining datasets on concurrency could take weeks.
Instead, we worked closely with different territories to locate suitable pilots that could yield fastest-time-to-value.
We discovered the German market could be an ideal fit as it had highest number of HTML 5 TV platforms in our EU territories, and could enable one-click purchasing.
Viewership per platform
45-70% TV apps
~48% Samsung Tizen
~35% Android/Google TV
~5% tvOS
30-45% Mobile apps
~60% Android
~38% iOS
15% Web browsers
~50% Chrome
~17% Safari
Redundancies also meant everyone involved in concurrency (including me) found themselves juggling multiple work streams and priorities…
To maintain momentum, and keep the project moving, I created a series of high-fi mockups that demonstrated what the supsell 'could be'.
Playground files
Editable mock-up templates
What is the upsell message?
What disclosure should we offer?
Task: Add your own text ideas, screenshot them, then add screenshots to our collaboration board.
Playground files
“
Now that we have 2FA in place, a users location is less of a concern because we can get them to authenticate devices.
Group discussion
Thank you for reading this far…
Please check back soon for the conclusion of this story.
But in the meantime…
Say Hi
Say Hi
Say Hi
Timothy Parkes Design 2025. All copyright reserved
Timothy Parkes Design 2025.
All copyright reserved