Barstool Sports - March 2023

Lead Designer - User Experience, Interaction Design, Visual Design, User Flows, Research

My Role

The Team

Tucker Borgman, PM

Mike Nichols, SWE

Darren Carlin, SWE

Timeline & Status

Designed and built in 6 weeks, debuted August 23’

I led the design of a pay-per-view and on-demand video platform. This platform facilitates the effortless release of premium video content to cater to Barstool’s extensive fan base, providing them with top-tier paid content.

I conceptualized and designed the pay-per-view and on-demand video platform, complete with a robust backend CMS where stakeholders can efficiently create pay-per-view events on the fly. 

The first event launched was wildly successful. Built with less than 24 hours’ notice, and eclipsing 40,000+ pay-per-view buys, Barstool Sports is Positioned for success, primed to seize a distinctive opportunity in the thriving "$2B+ Pay-For-View" market segment.

Overview

The Problem

All this video content,

no way to monetize it.

Barstool Sports was not fully capitalizing on its wealth of highly successful video content. Barstool Sports recently became the most liked brand account on Tik Tok, eclipsing over 31M Followers, and 5 Billion likes.

Studies* show that “Pay for what you watch” is becoming increasingly popular. The global live streaming pay-per-view market is expected to grow 15% annually from 2020 to 2027, reaching 2.3 billion by 2027. Barstool Sports is uniquely positioned to take full advantage of this growth, and my job was to design a platform to take advantage of this

*LiveOne Investor Presentation, Jan 2023.

The Challenge

Designing an elegant and user-friendly pay-per-view platform that caters to both users and internal stakeholders.

Process

North Star Design Principles

User-Friendly Experience

Ensure that purchasing and watching events is as effortless for users as initiating internal PPV events.

Aesthetic Enhancement

Modernize & redefine the design system aesthetics of Barstool.tv in line with Barstool's distinctive style.

Exemplary Product Quality

Exceed user expectations by incorporating exceptional design to enhance the overall user experience.

Preliminary Work

Research, Requirements, Stakeholders.

The work began with research on all major streaming platforms: Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, and more. Detailed patterns were examined, including purchase flows and page load interactions—such as content loading and display methods. Through this, we were able to identify industry-standard functionality and map that functionality to the needs of Barstool’s unique customers.

I also ensured that the design requirements listed in our product requirements document made sense. I highlighted any discrepancies that needed further explanation or understanding.

Additionally, internal stakeholders were identified early in the process to ensure frequent input. This alignment of the Barstool team's vision for Barstool.tv was a priority.

Crafting a customizable user interface:

Mapping Requirements

At the outset, I cataloged prevalent design elements in well-known interfaces like Netflix and Hulu. Subsequently, I compiled a list of these elements, specifying those that needed integration with our proprietary CMS.

= Customizable

Designing with Precision

Laying the foundation

I meticulously crafted user flows for a diverse range of use cases, leaving no stone unturned to uncover gaps, delineate interactions, and establish a rock-solid foundation for the design.

Streamlined, User-Friendly, and Adaptable UI

Crafting UI

The Payoff

Results and Achievements

  • Platform Powerhouse: Developed a comprehensive Pay-Per-View platform complete with user authentication, payment processing, and an internal CMS backend. This backend empowers stakeholders to seamlessly integrate and manage assets, facilitating the swift creation, administration, and launch of pay-per-view events.

  • Exceeding Expectations: The maiden voyage of Barstool.tv pay-per-view exceeded expectations, generating an impressive 40,000+ pay-per-view purchases. Internally, enthusiasm and excitement have taken hold, fueled by Barstool's substantial investments in live comedy within New York City. 

  • Whirlwind Event Launch: On Tuesday, August 15th, our team received a sudden request to support a pay-per-view event scheduled for the next night, the 20th-anniversary barstool sports awards. This event wasn’t originally supposed to be a pay-per-view event, but once leadership realized we had the capability, they decided to give it its first test. We managed to create assets, set up, and launch an entire Pay-Per-View event in under 24 hours. This achievement was made possible due to the groundwork laid in our design and development endeavors prior.

  • Versatile Content Hub: The platform now stands as the optimal channel for releasing paid comedy specials, Barstool events, and an array of compelling content.

Positioned for success, Barstool is primed to seize a distinctive opportunity in the thriving "$2B+ Pay-For-View" market segment.