✦ SIDDHANT SHAKYABLR --:-- IST Open to work
Case files

Turning watch time into a daily habit

A rewards system for FreeDrama that improved retention by 5–7% over KukuTV.

Senior Product Designer
Streaming · Retention · Gamification
FreeDrama• Streaming
Reward claimed
Rewards tab
Home with the cash button
Daily check-in
Player with the earning timer

TLDR

  1. 01

    Problem

    Users spent little time watching and stopped opening the app after day 3 or 4.

  2. 02

    What I did

    Designed a rewards system: earning while watching, a rewards page and a daily check-in streak.

  3. 03

    Result

    Retention was 5–7% higher than KukuTV after 2–3 months, with higher watch time.

Shipped 2026, FreeDrama

Context

FreeDrama is a free, ad-supported micro-drama app from Kuku FM. It has the same shows as KukuTV, our subscription app, but no paywall, so revenue depends on how much people watch.

Problem

Event data showed two issues: low time on the player, and most users not returning after day 3 or 4.

My role

I worked with the business head from the first brainstorm to launch. I benchmarked similar apps, made the flows, wireframes and final UI, covered edge cases, and did design QC during development. The business head led launch and marketing.

Challenge

Rewards had to be worth earning without becoming more important than the shows. Every reward had to lead back to watching.

Solution

01Rewards page

Rewards tab, full page
BalanceTotal earnings.
First-week bonusTasks for new users in their first 7 days.
Watch to earnEarn rewards by watching shows.
Rewarded adsEarn rewards by watching ads.
Daily check-inResets if a day is missed.
Earn anytimeBigger tasks with bigger rewards.
Treasure boxProposed, not shipped.

Coin values are placeholders.

02Earn while watching

Player with the earning timer

A timer on the player shows how much the user has earned and how much is left for the next reward.

Reward claimed

After each claim, a reward screen shows what the user has earned.

03Daily check-in

Daily check-in, day 1

Day 1: the check-in opens on the home screen.

Daily check-in, day 3

Day 3: the streak gets a fire icon.

Impact

5–7%

Higher retention than KukuTV

Higher

Watch time

Day 7–8

Many users still returning. Day 30 held, but lower.

Reflection

FreeDrama · 2026

Rewards work best when they lead users back to the main product. The hardest part was balancing what users earn against what it costs the business.