Online streaming service Viewster has released a new mobile app for iOS and Android, enabling fans to watch a library of more than 10,000 film and TV titles, with a focus on anime, fantasy, sci-fi and virtual worlds. Viewster also has a catalogue of simulcasts where anime shows are available immediately after airing on Japanese TV.
Viewster’s new mobile app includes vertical thumb-scrolling to find all episodes of hit simulcasts, and ad-free viewing for the first two minutes. It also has a new ‘follow’ function so viewers get notified when new episodes are available, an instant ‘push’ notification when a new episode becomes live, and instant replay on mobile screens.
Viewster recently hit five million overall app installs on Android since the first version. Since launching the new app, data has shown a 52 per cent increase in viewers watching further than episode one of a series. This demonstrates that viewers are binge-watching as a result of easier navigation and content stickiness, the company said. A 300 per cent increase in engaging with content, like using watch later, like, share or follow features has also been reported.
Viewster’s new mobile product manager, Harry Fuecks, led the redesign. Fuecks has vast experience in online product development including building the mobile apps for local.ch, the Swiss telephone book. Fuecks said: “Anime fans want the latest, high-quality content the moment it’s published. And they deserve a best-in-class user experience that we are dedicated to deliver. The data shows we are on the right track with our latest version, but this is just the beginning.”
Viewster CEO, Kai Henniges, added: “Forty-eight per cent of our users access Viewster via tablet or mobile phone, where they account for 74 per cent of all video views. The mobile device is the most flexible to use, and our young audience uses it to binge-watch the shows they are passionate about.”
