NBC Regional Networks are local sports platforms under the NBCUniversal brand, serving passionate fanbases in markets like Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and the Bay Area. They offer live games, pre- and post-game coverage, and exclusive local content across web, mobile, and OTT. In 2021, NBC initiated a major redesign effort across its digital platforms to modernize the user experience and support new backend infrastructure. I joined the product design team at a key moment, tasked with rethinking how regional news, weather, and sports content could be delivered more cohesively and interactively across all devices.
The existing NBC news, weather, and regional sports products had grown disjointed over time. Visual inconsistencies, limited responsiveness, and evolving content models made it difficult to deliver a seamless experience. Updates to backend systems presented an opportunity to modernize the UX, but also required a careful balance between performance, editorial flexibility, and design consistency across a wide range of local markets. Sports fans expect a fast, intuitive, and engaging experience, especially on game day. Meeting that expectation required a design system that could flex across regions while supporting rich features like live scores, team stats, and personalized content.
Working alongside a Product Manager and two other designers, I led the redesign of NBC’s local news and weather apps across mobile and desktop. I focused on building a scalable UX foundation that could support different types of local content without sacrificing usability or speed. For the NBC Regional Sports Network (RSN) products, I created responsive templates tailored to each market, allowing for localized branding and editorial voice while maintaining consistency across surfaces. These included new components for live game coverage, schedule browsing, and in-app content discovery. In addition, I developed vision work for NBC RSN’s OTT streaming app, helping the team explore new monetization opportunities through features like all-access live streams, integrated chat, and contextual sports betting overlays. The goal was to extend fan engagement beyond the screen, creating a more interactive and rewarding streaming experience.
The impact of these changes was clear. Live stream starts increased by 22 percent after the redesign, and return visits grew by 15 percent as highlights and team stories became easier to access. Mobile app usage grew 30 percent year over year, driven by consistent, reliable experiences across platforms. Sponsorship engagement improved by 12 percent as branded content was integrated more seamlessly into the fan journey. Fans themselves responded as well, with App Store ratings climbing from 3.4 to 4.2 in just six months. Internally, our design-to-development cycles became 25 percent faster thanks to the new RSN design system.
