Launching the first truly cross-platform co-viewing experience
When COVID was at its peak and movie lovers were isolated away at home, we decided to bypass all of our usual project and team processes to build Watch Together— the first truly cross-platform co-viewing experience.
Client
Movies Anywhere
Role
Product design
High-fidelity prototyping
User research
User testing
Competitive analysis
Design system
Tools
Sketch
Adobe Photoshop
Invision
Watch Together with Screen Pass
After the launch of Watch Together, I began strategizing and designing an integration with another recently launched feature called Screen Pass. In order to solve the obligatory pain point of every party member having to own a digital copy of the movie, Watch Together with Screen Pass allows users who have recently purchased a movie to gift a free pass to other party members who don’t own the movie and then watch the movie together via a fully synced viewing experience.
What people are saying
“While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen a rise in viewing party apps for streaming services (both third-party and official), Movies Anywhere’s version differs by letting you watch films you’ve purchased, instead of limiting you to the streaming catalogs for which you have subscriptions (something that can change day by day). Additionally, Movies Anywhere’s Watch Together feature works on both its mobile and desktop apps, something that’s rare for most viewing party services.”
“On top of things like an AI that helps Movies Anywhere users choose what to watch, Xbox users can now use the Watch Together feature to watch movies with their friends remotely. With the pandemic and other barriers often preventing people from gathering to watch things together in person, Movies Anywhere will likely be very useful to Xbox owners. The app provides a unique experience among streaming platforms, given it doesn't punish users for purchasing movies elsewhere, allowing a bridge between platforms like iTunes, Vudu, and other services so that users' digital libraries aren't scattered.
“To some extent, Watch Together is the product of necessity. With many movie theaters still closed due to COVID-19, this is one of the only ways you can legally watch purchased movies (including ones that skipped theaters altogether) with people outside your household for a long while. This could also help studios drive movie sales at a time when ticket sales are plunging — you may be more likely to buy a movie if you know friends can share the experience. It’s still an important addition even with that pragmatism in mind. This is a rare opportunity for shared movie viewing across multiple services and platforms. A friend who bought the movie through iTunes can keep up on an iPad while you host from your Android TV box.”