Development of an OTT platform for live streaming

Development of an OTT platform for broadcasting football matches

The task:

The client—a football association—set the task of creating a modern OTT platform for live streaming of matches, accessible across various devices (web, smart TVs), with scalability and centralised content management.

Key requirements:

• A single platform for streaming matches and video content
• Support for Smart TVs (Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV)
• Centralised management via an admin panel
• Stable performance under high load (match day)
• Integration with external data sources (fixtures, events)

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The problem:

Prior to the project launch, the client lacked a unified digital platform for streaming:

• Disparate solutions with no centralised management
• No Smart TV apps
• High reliance on third-party services
• Limited scalability
• Risk of outages during peak loads

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Solution:

The Piplos Media team has developed a fully-fledged OTT platform, comprising:

1. Web platform

• Responsive web interface for watching live streams
• Catalogue of matches and video content
• Live streams with real-time updates
• Integration with fixtures and tournaments

2. Smart TV apps:

• Android TV
• Tizen
• webOS

Native interfaces have been developed for each platform, taking into account the UX patterns of television devices:

• Remote control operation
• Leanback navigation
• Optimisation for large screens

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System flowchart:

Data flow: Content source → Backend → API → Web / Smart TV → User

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Development stages

1. Analysis and design

• Requirements gathering
• Architecture design
• UX for TV and Web

2. Backend development

• APIs for live streams and content
• User and access management
• Integrations

3. Frontend (Web)

• Platform interface
• Live match pages
• Responsiveness

4. Smart TV app development

• Android TV
• Tizen
• webOS

5. Testing

• Cross-platform testing
• Load testing

6. Publication

• Google Play (Android TV)
• Samsung Apps
• LG Content Store

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Development methodology:

The project was implemented using Kanban:

• Continuous delivery of functionality
• Flexible priority management
• Rapid response to changing requirements

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Design flowchart:

UX/UI principles:

• Simple navigation via the remote control
• Minimal steps required to view content
• Focus on content
• Consistent UX across all platforms

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Technology stack and rationale

Frontend

1. JavaScript (Web + Smart TV)
2. Flutter (Android TV)

Why:

• Cross-platform compatibility
• Reduced development costs
• Fast time-to-market

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Backend

PHP (Symfony)

Why:

• Suitable for high-load systems
• Flexible architecture
• Rapid API development

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Database

MySQL

Why:

1. Reliability
2. High performance
3. Easy to scale

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Timeline

Total duration: ~3 months

Breakdown by phase:

• Analysis and design — 1 week
• Backend — 2 weeks
• Web frontend — 1 week
• Smart TV applications — 2 weeks
• Testing and release — 2 weeks

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Project team

• Project Manager — 1
• Backend developers — 2
• Frontend developers — 1
• Smart TV developers — 1
• UI/UX designer — 1
• QA engineer — 1
• Business analyst — 1

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Key benefits of the solution

1. Scalable architecture
2. Support for the Smart TV ecosystem
3. High performance
4. User-friendliness
5. Flexibility for platform development