Product engineering and modernization
BET+
Subscription streaming platform engineering for ViacomCBS
Project overview
BET+ is a subscription streaming service centered on Black culture, with original series, films, documentaries, live events, and an extensive entertainment catalog.
We maintained and extended the BET+ applications across iOS, Android, and tvOS as part of the ViacomCBS engineering organization. The engagement covered platform updates, product features, content integration, release quality, and ongoing production stability.
Engineering focused on multi-DRM content protection, HLS and DASH playback, TV-provider authentication, subscription management, and production monitoring. FairPlay, Widevine, Braze, and New Relic were integrated into a release process built around playback reliability and measurable performance.
8M+
Global Downloads
3
Platforms
99.2%
Playback Success
Our role
Technical contributions and key deliverables
Native Mobile Development
- Maintained and evolved existing iOS codebase using Swift 5+ and Objective-C with MVVM architecture and RxSwift/ReactiveCocoa for reactive programming
- Maintained and evolved existing Android codebase using Kotlin and Java 8+ with modern architecture components, and coroutine-based asynchronous operations
- Developed tvOS application with focus-based navigation, Siri Remote integration, top-shelf content previews, and Parallax image effects for enhanced living room experience
- Updated and optimized video player components to meet evolving DRM requirements including FairPlay Streaming (iOS/tvOS) and Widevine Modular (Android) compliance with secure media path
Enterprise Collaboration
- Coordinated directly with ViacomCBS internal engineering teams across product, platform, content, and marketing divisions for synchronized feature releases and content launches within scaled agile framework (SAFe)
- Participated in bi-weekly agile sprint cycles, daily standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and retrospectives with distributed teams across multiple time zones
- Collaborated comprehensively with QA organization on test strategy development, regression testing automation, device matrix coverage, and production verification across iOS, Android, and tvOS platforms
- Partnered with content operations and programming teams on new show launches, promotional campaigns, featured content curation, editorial calendar execution, and live event streaming coordination
Technical Implementation
- Integrated comprehensive analytics SDKs including Braze for user engagement tracking, audience segmentation, and personalized push notifications, plus NewRelic for performance monitoring, crash reporting, and custom instrumentation
- Implemented sophisticated push notification campaigns with audience segmentation, A/B testing, deep linking to specific content, and scheduled delivery for new episode alerts and re-engagement initiatives
- Managed beta testing programs through TestFlight (iOS) and AppCenter (Android) with phased rollouts, crash-free release monitoring, user feedback collection, and rapid hotfix deployment
- Optimized application performance including app size reduction through asset optimization and bitcode compilation, launch time improvement via lazy loading, memory footprint optimization, and network request efficiency enhancements
Streaming & Content Protection
- Implemented multi-DRM content protection strategy with FairPlay Streaming (iOS/tvOS) and Widevine Modular (Android) including secure license acquisition, key management, and hardware-backed decryption
- Built a unified TV Provider Authentication layer supporting more than 50 cable and satellite providers, with OAuth 2.0 flows, token exchange, refresh logic, and graceful fallbacks for reliable subscriber verification
- Developed adaptive bitrate streaming with HLS/DASH protocols, intelligent buffer management, CDN optimization, and network-aware quality selection for optimal playback across variable connection speeds
- Engineered comprehensive subscription management with StoreKit receipt validation (iOS), Google Play Billing Library (Android), promotional period handling, family sharing support, and grace period management
Engineering challenges
Complex problems we solved during development
DRM & Content Protection
- Challenge: Premium content from multiple studios required strict DRM compliance across iOS, Android, and tvOS with different licensing agreements and security requirements
- Solution: Implemented multi-DRM strategy using FairPlay Streaming (iOS/tvOS) and Widevine Modular (Android) with secure license server integration, hardware-backed key storage, and secure media path enforcement
- Result: 100% content provider compliance certification with zero security incidents during production operation and successful passage of all studio security audits
TV Provider Authentication
- Challenge: Complex authentication flow with 50+ cable/satellite providers each with different OAuth implementations, token formats, expiration policies, and error handling requirements
- Solution: Built unified authentication abstraction layer with provider detection, deep-linking to provider apps, token exchange with refresh logic, credential caching, and graceful fallback to email verification
- Result: 99.2% authentication success rate across all supported TV providers with 40% reduction in authentication-related support tickets and sub-8-second end-to-end auth flow
Video Performance Optimization
- Challenge: Video startup latency and buffering during peak traffic periods (premiere events, live broadcasts) impacting user engagement, retention metrics, and app store ratings
- Solution: Implemented adaptive bitrate streaming with intelligent buffer management, CDN edge caching optimization, content pre-fetching for previews, and network-aware quality selection algorithms
- Result: 45% reduction in video start time (from 5.2s to 2.9s average), 60% improvement in buffering ratio during high-traffic events, and 99.2% playback success rate
Legacy Code Modernization
- Challenge: Inheriting large legacy codebases with mixed Swift/Objective-C (iOS) and Java/Kotlin (Android) requiring careful modernization without disrupting active feature development or introducing regressions
- Solution: Implemented incremental refactoring strategy with comprehensive unit test coverage (85%+ target), feature flagging for safe deployment, automated regression testing, and phased migration approach
- Result: 50% reduction in technical debt, 35% improvement in build times, and maintained 99.8% crash-free session rate throughout the entire modernization process
App Screenshots
Explore the user interface and key features
Browse Content
Home Screen
Home Screen on iPad
Choosing Who's Watching
Development Environment
Technical Stack
Technologies, frameworks, and tools
iOS & tvOS
Android
Backend & DevOps
Integrations
Project Outcomes
Measurable results and achievements
Market Performance
- 8M+ downloads across iOS, Android, and tvOS platforms within first 24 months of launch
- Top 10 Entertainment app in multiple markets (US, UK, Canada) during key content launches and promotional periods
- 4.3+ star average rating across App Store and Google Play with consistent improvement through optimization cycles
- Featured by Apple in "New Apps We Love" and Google Play in "Streaming Now" editorial collections
Streaming Performance
- 99.2% playback success rate across all supported devices, platforms, and network conditions
- Average video start time of 2.9 seconds on standard broadband connections (45% improvement from baseline)
- HD streaming support with adaptive bitrate optimization reducing buffering by 60% during peak traffic events
- Offline download functionality with 97.5% successful completion rate and secure encrypted local storage
Technical Excellence
- 99.8% crash-free session rate in production environment exceeding industry benchmark of 99.5%
- 35% reduction in app launch time through lazy loading, asset optimization, and initialization deferral
- 50% reduction in technical debt through systematic codebase modernization with comprehensive test coverage
- Zero critical security vulnerabilities identified in third-party penetration testing and security audits
Content Launches
- Successfully supported major original series launches including Tyler Perry productions, BET originals, and exclusive documentaries
- Delivered reliable live streaming for the BET Awards, special programming, and premiere events with 99.5% uptime
- Maintained platform stability during high-traffic periods (10x normal load) through infrastructure optimization and auto-scaling
- Enabled TV Provider Authentication for 2.5M+ subscriber accounts with 99.2% authentication success rate
Project Links
Check out the live app and related resources
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