Mobile Application for TV-Streaming
INDUSTRY
Cloud
SERVICE
Media & Entertainment
CLIENT
Fan TV
Check how Waverley delivered fully customized iOS client apps
"Check how Waverley delivered fully customized iOS client apps, integrated with the client’s cloud-based system for browsing and streaming movies and shows."
Fan TV (Fanhattan, Inc.) needed a complete redesign of its iPhone application to shift focus from playback to content discovery. Waverley delivered a fully redesigned native iOS client application with fresh iOS 7-compliant UI, deep feature integration, and CI pipeline setup. The new app launched on the App Store by March 2015, enabling users to discover over one million movies and shows across 50+ streaming services and live TV feeds.
Fan TV
Fan TV, a division of Fanhattan, Inc., is an entertainment technology company based in San Carlos, California. Founded in 2010, the company aggregates entertainment content discovery, reviews, ratings, trailers, and industry information across multiple sources. By 2013, Fan TV had introduced a set-top box combining live television and streaming services through a single interface. In October 2014, Fan TV was acquired by Rovi, a provider of entertainment metadata and TV guide software. The company's mission is to simplify how consumers discover and access entertainment across all platforms.
Project Analysis
Fan TV had an existing iPhone app that was essentially a smaller version of their successful iPad application. However, user research revealed a critical mismatch: the iPhone audience didn't want playback functionality; they wanted fast, intuitive content discovery. The existing app couldn't deliver this experience effectively on the smaller screen. Fan TV needed a ground-up redesign tailored to mobile usage patterns and touch-first interaction, paired with seamless integration to their cloud-based media services platform.
What We Delivered
Waverley worked closely with Fan TV's product management and engineering teams to understand their media services platform architecture and user requirements, then delivered a completely redesigned native iPhone application.
Key deliverables:
Fresh, iOS 7-compliant UI designed for content discovery first
Native implementation in Objective-C with deep platform integration
Extended feature set supporting discovery workflows across live TV and streaming services
CI/CD pipeline integration to streamline future releases
Onsite engineering support to transfer knowledge and best practices
Technology Stack
The application was built using Objective-C for native iOS performance and iOS 7 compliance. The team leveraged Fan TV's cloud-based backend API to enable seamless browsing and discovery across their entire media catalog.
Development Methodology
All project work followed Agile methodology with transparent progress tracking and daily stand-ups involving product owners, Waverley engineers, and Fan TV stakeholders. Waverley team members worked onsite to ensure knowledge transfer and direct collaboration on design, testing, and development. Daily status reports were delivered according to a mutually-agreed schedule, and Fan TV actively participated in every phase of the development cycle.
Outcomes & Impact
The redesigned iPhone app launched on the App Store in March 2015 and delivered immediate impact:
User discovery capability: iPhone users can browse over one million movies and shows
Multi-service integration: Access to 50+ premium streaming services integrated with live TV feeds
Feature velocity: New app versions with extended feature sets released every six months
Ongoing growth: Continuous user growth driven by improved discovery experience
Sustained engagement: Waverley continues to partner with Fan TV on new features and platform expansion
The close cooperation between Waverley's mobile team and Fan TV's server-side developers created a sustainable release cadence that keeps the application competitive and feature-rich.
Unlike any other outsourcing company I've encountered in my 22-year career, Waverley delivers high-quality code that is actually supportable and expandable. — Maurice Sharp, Mobile Engineering Manager, Fan TV; author of "Learning iOS Development"
Conclusion
Fan TV's case exemplifies Waverley's Thought Leadership pillar: deep technical expertise in mobile platform design, paired with a user-centered approach to problem-solving. By understanding that content discovery was the real user need, Waverley delivered an app that was not only technically sound but also market-ready and scalable. The ongoing partnership demonstrates Waverley's ability to sustain long-term relationships by delivering code that teams can support and extend.
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