Connected Live Experiences
Watch Together & Virtual Studio
Bringing people together through multi-video, multi-tasking, multi-functioning experiences
Note: Due to confidentiality agreements, many details are obscured or redacted.
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| ROLE | PARTNERS |
|---|
| Director, Product Design Creative Direction & UX Strategy | Partnership with cross-functional Editorial, News, Finance, Sports, and Production Leaders |
ROLE
Director, Product Design
Creative Direction & UX Lead
PARTNERS
Partnership with Editorial, News, Finance, Sports, and Production Leaders
Overview
After Verizon’s acquisition of Yahoo, and on the cusp of a global pandemic, we set out to create new live experiences that would both showcase Verizon 5G’s capabilities and keep people connected during unprecedented isolation.
Two initiatives emerged:
Watch Together
A synchronized shared live-viewing experience for live events, enabling friends and family to watch shows, sports, and special events in sync.
Virtual Studio
A fully remote, cloud-based production control room for hosting, directing, and simulcasting live multi-participant broadcast events from anywhere.
When COVID-19 hit, these projects took on a dual mission:
- Hit strategic 5G OKRs by delivering network-powered, low-latency experiences.
- Keep people connected during an unprecedented period of physical isolation.
They became not only technical showcases but also critical tools for connection in a time when live, shared moments mattered most.
The Challenge
Both products required solving for complex latency, synchronization, collaboration, and intuitive controls while maintaining high-quality streaming experiences for millions of users.
Watch Together
How might we recreate the excitement of sitting on the couch with friends with no lag, across devices, timezones, and varying network conditions.
Virtual Studio
How might we provide producers with the same precision, flexibility, and control as a physical broadcast studio, while enabling them to work from anywhere.
Impact & Highlights
- Launched Watch Together for Entertainment, Finance, Elections, and Super Bowl events, connecting thousands in real-time shared live viewing rooms.
- Audience Connection: Increased engagement time and return visits during live events.
- Delivered Virtual Studio as a core tool for distributed production teams, enabling remote, multi-location live broadcasts, reducing physical production costs, and enabling rapid event setup.
- Production Agility & Freedom: Empowered teams to produce complex, multi-location broadcasts without physical constraints.
- Advanced 5G OKRs by demonstrating tangible, consumer-facing applications for Verizon’s network technology.
- Pioneered new formats for multi-video, multi-tasking, and multi-function live experiences, later influencing other connected content initiatives.
- Scalable Framework: Designed experiences adaptable to multiple content verticals and event types.
- Helped people stay connected during COVID through shared, meaningful live experiences.
- Human Impact: Fostered connection and togetherness during a global crisis.
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This overview only scratches the surface.
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