Disclaimer: 

This project was undertaken during my tenure with the Monetization team at Disney+ Hotstar. It represents a strategic proposal presented to leadership, outlining our vision for the future growth and development of monetization strategies.

Introduction

Disney+ Hotstar is soaring high with about 87 million subscribers globally. It’s especially big in India, where it grabs a 30% share of the streaming market, making it the top choice here. The app’s been a hit too, with over 200 million downloads. Plus, it broke records with a massive 50.6 million viewers tuning in for the 2023 ICC T20 World Cup cricket match between India and New Zealand.

It’s clear that Disney+ Hotstar’s strengths lie in its sports content (especially Cricket). This is precisely the area we aimed to focus on for growth. The platform currently offers a 5-minute free viewing period, allowing users to sample content before deciding on a subscription. Our aim was to enhance this process, ensuring a higher conversion rate of free viewers into paid subscribers.

Objectives

1. Integrate a gamified system with variable rewards to make the monetization aspect more engaging and incentivizing for users.

2. Promoting the new mobile subscription plans and Mini subscription page offerings to attract a broader audience.

3. Strategize to effectively convert users enjoying the free viewing experience into paying subscribers.

4. Boost the revenue earned from watching ads.

Make it pop

“Make it pop” is often joked about in design memes, yet it precisely captures our approach here. Rather than directly incentivizing users, we chose to experiment by introducing a mini subscription nudge. This feature is a sticky unit that consistently stays at the screen’s bottom. In designing this nudge, our focus was to ensure it captures the user’s attention effectively. To make it even more engaging, we incorporated theme-based Lottie animations into the design — an area I also specialize in, adding a personal touch to the project.

When a user interacts with the subscription nudge, our new PSP feature opens, allowing them to quickly purchase a subscription. This ensures they don’t miss any of the excitement during action-packed cricket matches.

Nudge to remind them

Our strategy was to create a sense of urgency among users, a tactic commonly used by many e-commerce platforms. By indicating that the offer is available for a limited time, we aimed to encourage users to complete their purchase before it expires. We applied this concept by reminding users about their remaining free viewing time and providing a nudge to purchase plans before time runs out, thus enhancing the likelihood of conversion from free to paid subscribers.

A free user can watch the match for 5 minutes. At the 4-minute mark, the Mini PSP interface will automatically appear, providing an option for the user to seamlessly drag it down to view the scorecard. Once the 5-minute viewing period concludes, the video feed will be disabled, yet users can continue to enjoy live match commentary

Variable Reward system

Who doesn’t love free rewards? We’re tapping into this universal appeal by offering free users the chance to win rewards while watching matches. These rewards vary from an extra 5 minutes of viewing to a paid plan, all through a simple Roulette game on the screen. Users can spin the wheel to win. To comply with legal policy, we’ve ensured that these incentives are tied to our existing subscription plans, making the rewards both appealing and compliant.

Winning big

In the game, achieving three jackpots results in winning the grand prize — a free one-year Mobile subscription. On the other hand, landing on two jackpots rewards the user with a 3 months free Mobile subscription.

Free passes

A user who wins three ‘Free Passes’ earns the chance to enjoy a mobile subscription for the next X days. Additionally, users who win two free passes are rewarded with the opportunity to watch an entire match for free.

Extra minutes

A user has the chance to win extra viewing time while playing the game. Landing on three ‘Extra Timer’ segments rewards them with 10 additional minutes of uninterrupted watching. If they hit two ‘Extra Timer’ segments, they receive a 5-minute extension. Both rewards add extra time to their current viewing session.

Extra discounts

A user who wins three ‘Extra Discounts’ earns the chance to get the premium subscription for X% and similarly if they win two, they will be rewarded with Rs. X discount on premium subscription. 

Try your luck once more

In the game, if a user lands with three different symbols on each column, it’s considered a ‘no reward’ or ‘try again later’ situation. However, users are given an additional chance to try their luck by opting to watch a short ad. This feature not only incentivizes ad viewership but also adds a layer of excitement and chance, keeping users engaged and interactive with the platform.

Every user who gets two identical symbols or none at all in each column gets another chance to spin the roulette after a 15-minute wait. This approach is designed to retain users or encourage them to return to the platform once their free viewing period ends.

Here ‘X’ represents a variable that adjusts according to the win ratio of the rewards. A higher win ratio leads to a decrease in ‘X’, and conversely, a lower win ratio increases it. This mechanism ensures that the game’s economy remains balanced and sustainable.

In wrapping up, this project has been a great addition to learning. It’s quite different from the usual work of a product designer, diving into game mechanics and the management of a game’s economy. It was a new learning experience for me, teaching me about how to create engaging game experiences and keep a game’s economy balanced.