SportNex · Sports streaming · Mobile app · 2025
Turning match-watching into something you can learn from
SportNex is a sports app I designed that puts live matches, AI match insights, watch parties and official merch in one place.
Role
Strategy, research, UX, UI
Timeline
14 weeks · 2025
Platform
iOS, Android · web planned
Tools
Figma
01 — The problem
Fans were using four apps to follow one match
Most fans stream a match in one app, check stats in another, chat with friends in a third and buy merch in a fourth. None of these apps help them understand the game any better.
18
people interviewed
9
competing platforms audited
14
weeks, from research to usability testing
02 — Research
Fans were loyal, but the apps only let them watch
I compared nine streaming and sports-training apps feature by feature. Most of them stream a match well. None of them let you watch with friends, and very few help you learn anything while you watch.
Competitive analysis
DAZN, SonyLIV, YouTube, JioHotstar and five others, compared on seven features.
Feature
DAZN
SonyLIV
YouTube
JioHotstar
SportPlan
HomeCourt
EA FC 25
Decathlon
Netflix
Interviews and survey
I interviewed 18 people and followed up with a survey. Three answers stood out.
79%
wanted live AI insights during a match
75%
wanted to watch matches with friends in the app
78%
had never used an app to learn a sport
Heard in interviews
“Better to learn side by side. Something that shows how to bowl a googly or off spin with its finger placement.”
Another person told me she watches every IPL match, whoever is playing. People like her open the app most days, so it had to give them a reason to keep coming back.
03 — Who it’s for
Who I designed for
Two kinds of users came out of the research: fans who never miss a match, and people who play the sport and want to get better at it.
Personas
I checked every screen against these two.
Aditi, 28
Interior designer · Pune
Watches to unwind and keep up with big games. Wants streaming that doesn’t buffer, watch parties with friends and no ads during key moments.
Rohan, 25
Software tester · Bangalore
Plays cricket and football and wants to improve at both. Wants replays, tactics breakdowns and stats in the same app he watches in.
Journey map
Onboarding was the low point of the journey. Shopping and subscribing were okay but not great. Watching, insights and learning already worked well, so onboarding got most of my attention.
User action
Log in
Onboarding & profile setup
Explore home screen
Streaming a match
AI insights & watch party
Learning skills
Shopping
Subscription
Log in
Joining discount and trial feature
Explore
Good home page personalisation
Watch party
Enjoying it with friends
Learning skills
Concise, simple and fast tutorials
04 — Key decisions
What I changed because of the research
These four came straight from the interviews and the survey.
01
Insights sit next to the video
Nobody wanted to pause the match for insights. In landscape, stats and formations open in a panel beside the video, and the stream keeps playing.
02
Watch parties start from the match
No app in the audit offered this, so I made it something you start straight from a live match, without leaving the stream.
03
Learning gets its own tab
People liked the idea of learning while they watch, so drills and tutorials got their own tab where they’re easy to find.
04
A shorter sign-up
I cut sign-up down to a phone number, a one-time code and a quick pick of sports, teams and players, which also personalises the home feed.
05 — Design
From sketches to screens
I sketched every core screen on paper first: the home feed, the match view, the watch party and the store.
Wireframes
Paper sketches first, then grayscale wireframes to check layout before adding colour.
06 — Final screens
The main flows
Final designs for the flows that matter most, all reachable from the match you’re watching.
Onboarding
Phone number, one-time code, then your sports, teams and players.
Search and stream
Search covers live matches, results, lessons and merch.
Live insights
Stats and formations open beside the stream in landscape.
Watch party
Invite up to three friends and watch together on video.
Learning and community
Drills, tutorials and a community tab for questions.
Shopping
Official kits, coupons, and checkout with UPI, card or cash on delivery.
07 — Outcome
What I was designing for
The goals every screen was checked against.
Principles
Continuity
Moving between watching, learning and shopping without friction
Insight
Insights that show up while the moment is still live
Social
Starting a watch party in a couple of taps
Trust
Only official, verified merch
Personal
A feed that adapts to what each fan follows
Next project
Full case study