The Live Player is where Fire TV customers watch live TV. I redesigned it into one visible, remote-agnostic playback surface that connects playback controls, program information, and live discovery.
The first phase shipped with the new Fire TV hardware.
Across more than 100 million Fire TV devices, 60+ markets, and 202 million monthly viewing hours, we needed one scalable playback foundation that could accommodate different remotes, input methods, and regional requirements.
New Fire TV remotes removed dedicated fast-forward and rewind buttons, while physical controls varied across existing devices. Some markets also required program information to remain visible during playback. Rather than handle these differences as device-specific or market-specific exceptions, we needed one consistent interaction pattern that could absorb them. Platform constraints established the need for a shared structure, while customer behavior data helped determine which core functions should remain visible on screen.
Viewers had already chosen what they wanted to watch, but the path to Live was hard to discover, so they relied on familiar remote controls.
Research examined both viewing intent and the paths people actually used to start watching. Most viewers had already selected a program, but the Live tab and EPG were difficult to discover. That gap created a clear design challenge: make the on-screen entry points easier to find while continuing to support the familiar remote-based paths.
Core features were hidden in the remote menu, and the screen offered too few cues about the current playback state.
Accessing program information, favorites, or Go to Live required knowing the remote’s Options button and menu structure. The features existed, but they were difficult to discover on screen, and viewers could not immediately tell whether playback was at the live edge. The functionality was there, but discoverability and playback-state clarity were not.
Move core actions into a visible player control layer
The key design decision was to shift the player from a shortcut-driven model to a visible, focusable control layer. Instead of requiring customers to remember hidden remote shortcuts or open overflow menus, the new playback experience exposed core actions directly in context: program information, captions, favorites, settings, live browsing, and transport controls where supported.
We built one playback surface that connected controls, information, and discovery.
I designed the player’s focus and navigation model to make browsing part of playback rather than a separate destination. Program information, playback controls, and live content rows shared one predictable focus order, allowing viewers to understand what was playing, use key actions, browse other channels, and switch content without leaving the player.
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