Faithful Streaming

In 2022, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the world’s largest religious network and America’s most-watched faith channel, partnered with Applicaster to build and launch a new app for millions of global subscribers. The TBN mobile and TV app would be designed to offer free streaming content, from movies and live TV to original series for all ages.

Hear From TBN

1 (4)[Zapp] is the most advanced app platform that we've found, and the most flexible. That's been a huge thing—that we're not contained within a box. We're only limited by our creativity ... and it's been great having them as a partner.2 (4)

—Marcus Lopez, Director of OTT Platforms, TBN

An Enhanced User Experience

With their steady growth, TBN needed to scale their OTT operations by moving from a one-stop-shop product to a platform that allowed for full flexibility and customization. The ultimate goal was to create an unparalleled user experience that kept viewers coming back to TBN’s content

“Vimeo was a great solution for us at first, but we reached a point where we needed additional capabilities,” said Marcus Lopez, TBN's Director of OTT Platforms. “We started looking around the market and found Applicaster, which was a great fit for our growth strategy."

Their three most important considerations when choosing an app-building partner to help them achieve this goal were:

Scale.
TBN needed a solution that could scale with the growing network and an OTT team that’s expected to double in 2023.

Control.
The team was looking for a modular platform that allowed for full control over every feature and allowed for testing future business models.

Speed.
TBN’s app had to keep up with the network’s rapid expansion without requiring lengthy developer or integration timelines.

An Innovative Partnership

TBN partnered with Applicaster in 2022 to create the first of multiple planned apps, using JW Player and other components as part of their tech stack. Applicaster’s Zapp app management platform offered the control, agility, and data that TBN needed to build the right product for its users. This included early access to the platform, a fully designed UI created by TBN’s director, complete plug-in and integration flexibility, and valuable new “continue watching” and audience behavior data.

”We worked with TBN’s team so they could build their app before becoming a client—we always want to make sure we’re offering a solution that’s right for the customer and meets their expectations before entering a contract,” said Idan Maron, Applicaster’s VP Solutions and Partnerships. “This gave Marcus and his team the opportunity to explore the platform and make sure it worked for them before committing. They were ready to launch their app as soon as the contract started.”

TBN originally planned to bring all current and future apps in-house, but their successful partnership with Applicaster changed that. Applicaster’s delivery speed outpaces the capability of in-house development, freeing internal teams to focus on the strategic parts of their business what works best for their business and viewers.

1 (4)Applicaster’s Zapp platform is intuitive and we understood most of it immediately. Thanks to the platform’s maneuverability, TBN was able to stand up the core of our UI in less than a month. And as we continued with development, the speed of new releases and ease of data integration was almost too good to be true.2 (4)  

—Marcus Lopez, Director of OTT Platforms, TBN

Powerful Impact

Trinity Broadcasting Network launched their new, beautifully designed app in late 2022 and have already released two additional apps across all platforms.

All three apps were ready in less than 30 days, and more than half a million users on-boarded the new apps within two months after launch.

TBN continues to utilize Applicaster’s platform and experienced team to promote new content, add and update features, and test revenue models. Expect more updates from TBN in 2023 and beyond!

Partner with Applicaster

Learn how the powerful app management platform that works for Trinity Broadcasting Network can work for you. Contact us today to start building your streaming app.