As audiences increasingly stream major sporting events online, and with the FIFA Club World Cup approaching, the video service 5 needed to reliably support high volumes of concurrent viewers and deliver a live event experience that felt just as dynamic and immediate as traditional TV. The broadcaster partnered with Accedo to enhance its streaming platform with a robust set of new features designed specifically for live events.
From flexible scheduling and editorial tools to new content rails and UI improvements, the updates were all about one thing: making sure every moment of the action is easily discoverable and watchable.
For the FIFA Club World Cup, 5 introduced enhanced support for live and simulcast content, designed to surface matches clearly and deliver them smoothly across every device that 5 is available on, including traditional pay TV (Sky, EE TV & TalkTalk), connected TVs (Samsung, LG, Google TV), Fire TV, Roku, tvOS, and iOS and Android mobile devices.
Live-tagged tiles were added to the Featured section, appearing alongside popular on-demand shows to highlight live content and let users jump straight into matches with a single click. These tiles now include real-time progress indicators and countdowns, making it immediately clear what’s happening now and what’s coming up next. Matches transition from “Upcoming” to “Live” automatically, giving viewers helpful visual cues throughout the event cycle.
Behind the scenes, Accedo introduced several frontend enhancements to improve overall performance. These included code refactoring, a more efficient homepage for faster data fetching, and pagination for smoother content loading. Channel switching—often a sticking point in streaming environments—was also optimized to reduce lag. While not quite as instant as traditional TV, 5 now offers a noticeably faster and more fluid experience than many streaming services in its category.
Finally, a flexible scheduling system gives 5’s team greater control. Match windows can be adjusted manually, which is crucial for games that go into overtime. Additionally, the app auto-reloads at key transitions, keeping the experience in sync with the broadcast timeline. These improvements ensure the platform not only meets the demands of FIFA, but is also ready to scale for future high-profile events across sports, entertainment, and beyond.
To complement the live experience, 5 also introduced updates to its user interface, making it easier for audiences to discover and engage with content in a more intuitive way. The platform now supports mixed-content rails, where live streams, FAST channels, and on-demand episodes appear side by side. This lets viewers browse naturally across formats without feeling like they’re switching between different “modes” of the platform.
New portrait-format rails have also been introduced, offering an alternative browsing experience that prioritizes visual discovery and works especially well on mobile. In addition, a new “Top 10” trending rail highlights what’s popular in real time, surfacing buzzworthy matches, highlight reels, and fan-favorite shows during the tournament.
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Client quote
"To support the broadcast of the FIFA Club World Cup across the 5 platform, we collaborated closely with Accedo to deliver the best possible experience for our audience. Anticipating increased traffic, we scaled our infrastructure to ensure a high-quality viewing experience for sports fans. In parallel, Accedo enhanced our UI capabilities by promoting live events alongside our premium VOD content on the homepage. They also worked with other key vendors to improve app performance and optimize backend integrations, resulting in faster load times for both live and on-demand content. Accedo’s extensive experience with live events has been invaluable during this busy period as we prepared for a tournament of the Club World Cup’s calibre."
Sam Heaney
VP Product, Tech & Ops
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