BBC Maestro is an e-learning service, where courses are taught by the world’s best experts. Launched in November 2020 in partnership with BBC Studios, the service offers creative, business and wellness courses from the most successful and celebrated people such as Julia Donaldson (The writer of The Gruffalo), Mark Ronson (Music Producer), Stephen Bartlett (Entrepreneur) and Tim Spector (Nutritionist). They share their process, their wisdom and knowledge through a series of video tutorials. Each course is filmed in 4K, and offers several hours of video content.
BBC Maestro is available in 19 countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and Germany. It allows viewers to immerse themselves in their passions and learn from experts from the comfort of their homes (or out and about with the mobile app). Alongside premium content, smooth video playback is crucial for the viewers’ e-learning experience.
In this case study, we will explore how BBC Maestro overcame performance issues with their initial app development by choosing Dolby’s THEOplayer.
The Challenge
Initially, BBC Maestro offered video courses exclusively on their website. When they decided to develop a React Native mobile app, they started by building their own video player using open-source React Native video player libraries. Despite exploring two different open-source solutions, they faced performance issues and a lack of necessary features. This required a significant investment of internal resources to resolve problems, develop new features, conduct extensive testing, and ensure stability.
With a small development team, BBC Maestro recognized they lacked the bandwidth to continue customizing open-source video players. They needed a solution that worked seamlessly out-of-the-box, offering a high quality of experience and a broad feature set. By adopting such a solution, they could re-allocate their development efforts to key projects, which had been put on hold, aimed at further increasing user engagement and retention.
The Solution
After extensive research and evaluation of commercial video players, BBC Maestro quickly discovered that THEOplayer offered the best React Native video player solution for their app.
Why They Chose Dolby’s THEOplayer:
Extensive Feature Set
With THEOplayer’s advanced features, fully bridged to React Native, BBC Maestro could easily launch the additional features they needed. This includes support for casting with both Chromecast and AirPlay, allowing learners to enjoy their courses on larger screens. They also introduced a lock screen control feature, which improved user convenience and satisfaction. Additionally, THEOplayer’s open-source React Native UI enabled BBC Maestro to launch a new brand-aligned UI with ease.
Stability & Support from Video Experts
By partnering with THEOplayer, BBC Maestro no longer had to worry about stability or performance issues. This allowed them to focus on more strategic projects, such as developing new app features to further improve the user experience. “We aimed to provide an excellent customer experience but were delayed in addressing key features due to prioritizing our video player. Now that it’s sorted, we’re excited to focus on enhancements that will help users find relevant content and stay informed about new offerings. We believe these improvements will drive greater user engagement and retention.” said Lily Smith, Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro.
“THEOplayer immediately looked like a much better solution and just stood out a mile above everything else that we came across. After discussions with the Dolby team, we were confident that they were the right technical partner for us. Their approach aligned with our own work style, and because they are so knowledgeable about video for React Native, we have been able to entrust such a critical feature to their expert care.”
The Results
The positive results of the project include:
Higher User Satisfaction
Since launching THEOplayer, BBC Maestro has seen several notable improvements: the Apple Store rating has increased from 4.8 to 4.9 stars, while the Google Play Store rating has remained at 4.1 stars but is trending upward. Additionally, there has been a 50% increase in satisfied customers among Android users, and weekly active users globally have increased by 16%.
Better Viewer Experience with Premium Features
The casting feature is particularly significant for BBC Maestro’s audience, who tend to be in the 40 to 60 age range. Many prefer to watch online courses on larger screens for better concentration and comfort. With support for Chromecast and AirPlay, users can now cast to various devices.
Accelerated Time-to-Market
The time-to-market for launching their mobile app was significantly reduced. Previously, it took 9 months to launch the app with basic features using an in-house video player based on open-source libraries. With THEOplayer, BBC Maestro released the revamped app in just 4 months – including a Beta phase and there was overwhelmingly positive feedback from BBC Maestro customers. That gave the team a lot of confidence in the new experience and they were able to quickly expand to 5 more countries. “With all the preparation, testing, and communication, the entire process has felt remarkably stress-free. It’s been a really positive experience.” said Lily Smith, Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro.
Improved Brand Consistency
Before using THEOplayer, BBC Maestro had a standard-looking UI. Now, with THEOplayer, they have their own branded UI, which looks much nicer and is very on-brand. “This wasn’t even a feature we were actively seeking, as we weren’t unhappy with the previous UI, but it’s an added benefit that elevates the experience even more. We’re really happy with it.” said Lily Smith, Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro.
Summary
BBC Maestro, an e-learning service launched in partnership with BBC Studios, offers courses by top experts like Julia Donaldson and Mark Ronson. Faced with performance issues in their initial app development, they adopted Dolby’s THEOplayer, which provided extensive features and stability, allowing them to focus on user engagement. Results included higher user satisfaction, better viewer experience with premium features, accelerated time-to-market, and improved brand consistency. The app’s ratings improved, user satisfaction increased, and they successfully expanded to more countries, ensuring a premium e-learning experience.
