Increasing subscriptions with partner billing
YouTube TV
Product Designer
In March 2023, YouTube TV announced a partnership with Frontier (NASDAQ: FYBR) in which Frontier customers could add a YouTube TV membership to their fiber internet bill.
YouTube TV explained
YouTube TV is a subscription-based live streaming service that offers access to live TV channels, on-demand content, and unlimited cloud DVR storage. An alternative to traditional cable and satellite TV, YouTube TV is available on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, and computers, and supports simultaneous streaming for multiple users.
Frontier explained
Frontier Internet, owned by Frontier Communications, provides fast and reliable internet services for homes and businesses across the U.S. Competitors include AT&T, Spectrum, Xfinity, and Verizon Fios.
Business goal
Increase subscriptions: By partnering with a company that already has an established customer base, YouTube TV could gain exposure to potential customers. There is a natural synergy between the two audience groups, as both companies provide 'cord-cutting' products.
Design resources were invested to ensure that billing and subscription management were frictionless across the two ecosystems (Frontier & YouTube TV). A convenient customer experience would help drive acquisition and retention.
What I did
I was responsible for designing post-purchase user flows within the YouTube TV ecosystem, like onboarding and subscription management. The checkout flows were owned by our partners at Frontier.
Challenges
Shepherding new customers from Frontier into YouTube TV
Since the purchase flow and actual transaction happens inside Frontier's ecosystem, it was important that we make the handoff experience seamless once linked into our product from Frontier's purchase confirmation screens. For many users, the journey starts with a link from a Frontier email, as shown here.
Billing transparency
Users expect to see full billing details in the YouTube TV product interface, but due to partner integrations, complete information (e.g., payment method specifics) may not always be available. Additionally, YouTube TV billing periods can (and likely will be) different than the billing period for a users' Frontier account. How might we prevent Frontier customers from reaching dead ends when looking for billing information?
Limited Control Over Pricing and Discounts
Bundled billing customers can not pause their YouTube TV membership, though regular customers can. If a user already has YouTube TV, they can not add it to their Frontier bill as an afterthought. Discounts and bundle rules can confuse users when they compare pricing or renew their subscriptions.
Our solution
Custom onboarding
After being linked to YouTube TV and signing in with their Google account, Frontier customers see this custom onboarding screen. The Frontier logo was added beside the YouTube TV logo to validate that the two are connected, a custom description is displayed, and their active subscriptions are listed under the ‘What’s included' section. After continuing, Frontier customers enter the standard onboarding flow where they can select favorite shows and personalize their experience.
Clear Messaging
Under our 'Membership' tab, Frontier users now see a unique Base Plan description which informs them where their subscription is managed, including external links. Subscription status and cancellation options are displayed, allowing users to easily cancel their subscription within YouTube TV. Cancellation flows include special messaging, informing users they will lose any bundled discounts.
Outcomes
At the end of 2023, YouTube TV reported more than 8 million subscribers (including free promotions), making it the fourth largest pay-TV distributor behind Charter, Comcast CMCSA -1.3% and DirecTV.
Customers benefit from the convenience of managing their internet and TV services through a single bill, eliminating the need to juggle multiple accounts and payments.