About the client

Hayu is a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service specialising in unscripted entertainment, and is part of NBCUniversal. Starting out in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, hayu set its sights on global growth — and got there, ultimately reaching 27 territories.

The challenge

Early success brought its own pressure: how do you scale fast without everything breaking?

  • Every new territory meant adapting to different market dynamics and commercial models – quickly

  • The cost of acquiring new customers needed to come down to make international growth sustainable

  • Every new promotion or initiative required bespoke development, which was slow and expensive

  • The team needed the freedom to experiment and move at pace – but their technology kept getting in the way

The answer

Hayu brought in Aptitude to become a core part of how the business operates. Here's what made the difference:

  • Flexibility by design: Multiple commercial models and routes to market, all supported without needing custom-built work every time something new came along

  • Speed to market: New products and propositions could be launched and tested quickly, giving the team a genuine edge over the competition

  • Smarter growth: Data insights put to work to sharpen acquisition and retention strategies across every market

  • Reliable at scale: As hayu grew, Aptitude grew with it – becoming deeply embedded in how the business runs day to day

  • A real partnership: A close working relationship meant things evolved together, not in isolation

"Without Aptitude, we were bound by bespoke development for every promotion... That would have slowed us down and added costs... You can trust in the product. It delivers and has really become a core part of our technical infrastructure." – Hendrik McDermott, Managing Director, hayu

The results

  • International expansion accelerated, reaching 27 territories in a short space of time

  • Cost of customer acquisition reduced through more flexible, targeted strategies

  • Revenue grew while churn came down

  • New products and propositions launched quickly, without the need for bespoke development each time

  • A reliable, scalable foundation in place to keep supporting growth

The bigger picture

Hayu's story is a good reminder that technology should open doors, not close them. By working with Aptitude, hayu went from a slow, costly, build-it-yourself approach to something fast, flexible, and built for the long term – something that could keep up as the ambitions got bigger.

Bottom line: Aptitude becomes a trusted part of how growth-focused businesses actually operate – not just a tool, but a foundation.