SportsHub
Creating a unique sports product, with help from the latest tech.
THE BRIEF
We were introduced to the News UK sports hub back in late 2019, as part of a new collaboration with the Wunderman Thompson agency.
The brief was to deliver a phase 2 product strategy that had been requested by Newscorp’s executives. Feature analysis, prioritisation, and a delivery proposal all needed to be included, as well as design and tech estimates, and 3rd party integration. With that in mind we set to work on a new way to present a market leading sports product.
THE SOLUTION
To create a solution that covered this in-depth and wide ranging brief, we broke it down into key areas:
- Product Management: We began by understanding the required output by diving deep into phase 1 and aligning it with changes in the market since it was produced
- Competitor Analysis: We wanted to know which features would drive enjoyment, stickiness, and value. To make it possible we met with key stakeholders from across the sporting world within News UK
- Scalability: We didn’t want to spend money reinventing the wheel, so we looked for areas where existing technology could be scaled and repurposed to best meet the client’s needs
- Industry Experts: We began working closely with betting and gaming experts to create an intuitive gambling experience that appealed to all tastes. Our research showed us that accumulator bets were key revenue drivers for the business, while being seen as fun and low risk by punters
- Gamification: We really focused on appealing to a younger audience who would appreciate a profile progression element based on their level of skill and engagement
- What Customers Want: This is the most important thing in any project, so rather than overthinking it, we asked them. Surveys showed that predictor games linked to accumulators would be highly popular, and that rewarding engagement with access to new features would increase repeat visits
Each of these components came together to allow us to deliver exactly what we set out to…
THE RESULT
Together with NUKTC we presented an innovative product strategy to a number of senior stakeholders at TalkSPORT, and to C-Suite executives at Newscorp.
We focused on easy-to-follow and interactive demonstrations that presented a clear and coherent message. The result was successful executive sign off and the ongoing work on phase 3 which we’re proud to be a part of.
Feedback
Here’s what our clients and partners had to say about working with us:
We wouldn’t have delivered this without your critical thinking, football knowledge and optimistic energy. Thank you for your help.
Matt Jacobs, Design Lead, Wunderman Thompson
Worth your weight in gold during the course of this project.
Laura Drysdale, Head of Product, NUK