
Kayo has been notoriously buggy and unfocused, but today it launches a fully refreshed version, and chances are it addresses your problems with the app. Coming first to mobile and tablet, the new app brings algorithmic personalisation through a new Stories feed, a TikTok-style Moments feature, and an individualised home page experience based on your favourite teams.
These new features will see your teams and your sports placed front and centre on your profile homepage via Team Feeds, and within the new Moments and Stories features. Team Feeds will showcase the latest content from your favourite teams, directly on your profile home page. No more swiping, scrolling, and searching - it should be easier to surface the content you care about. Stories - which looks similar to every stories function across the internet - will prioritise content currently streaming live, offering vertical video highlights of the match and a direct link to the live stream. Moments will function more like TikTok, with a vertical swipe feature that surfaces content relevant to your viewing habits and teams. As with most algorithmic feeds, the more you engage, the more relevant the served content will be.
Part of the design ethos, according to Kayo’s Director of Product, Jardian Ormsby, was to reduce friction while creating an experience that is reflective of the enthusiasm and passion people have for their teams. Among many changes, personalisation has been a driving force.
“We know live sport is just one part of the viewing experience, with fans also eager to consume stats, analysis, highlights, recaps and key moments. This is not just an app update, but a complete reimagining of how fans connect with the sports and shows they love.”
“It's not just implicit personalisation where it's trying to observe what you're watching and learn from that. If you have told us that you like a certain team or a certain sport, that's almost like a cheat code for us, we can use those,” said Ormsby.
Your Favourites play a large role in this customisation, so the streamer has opened up greater functionality like re-ordering your teams, and five extra prompts to erk out more of what you want to see. These favs ultimately become your own bespoke filter for live and upcoming content in Fixtures, which will also look a bit different moving forward.
Kayo is ditching its bespoke graphics for a more streamlined look using team logos, and will now let you choose your playback option directly from the main menu. While you can still use the Day View, it has introduced a Round View which will highlight what is on this round, or you can filter by sports, teams, or your Favourites. This shift will see Fixtures become more of a planning tool, with another Live menu coming soon, which will offer an overview of live sporting events in a TV-guide style feed.
Despite being a TV-first streaming platform, it will still be some time before these UX changes filter into a new television or web app. While it is in the works, there is no clear timeline for release. Instead, Kayo is hoping the focus on this bespoke mobile app will increase mobile engagement. The update will be rolling out incrementally starting from today, and should hit all users within the next couple of weeks.
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Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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