Rebuilding Supermatch ahead of the World Cup
The World Cup created one constraint nobody could change: the deadline.
01 / The challenge
A platform that could not stop
Supermatch wasn't starting from scratch. It already had users, live betting, existing systems and third-party integrations that had to keep working.
At the same time, the new architecture had to support real-time betting activity, traffic peaks, multiple digital channels and the security requirements of a regulated platform.
- 01
Supermatch wasn't starting from scratch
An existing platform, years of accumulated behaviour, and decisions that had to be understood before they could be replaced.
- 02
The operation stayed live throughout
Real users kept betting while the new platform was being built around them.
- 03
Existing systems and integrations had to keep working
Third-party providers and internal systems could not be paused for a rebuild.
- 04
Real-time activity and traffic peaks
The new architecture had to hold up under live betting, multiple digital channels and the security requirements of a regulated platform.
- 05
The deadline was fixed by the calendar
Everything had to come together before the 2022 World Cup.
02 / The approach
Building while the business keeps running
“You rarely get to stop the old platform, rebuild everything, and turn the new one on when you're ready.”
The existing operation still has customers. Integrations still need to work. Releases still happen.
The work therefore moved incrementally, breaking the platform into manageable parts and allowing architecture, development, QA and infrastructure to progress in parallel.
Each part went to production as soon as it was ready, instead of waiting for a single switch-over at the end.
03 / The solution
More than a frontend rebuild
Six disciplines running in parallel, on one platform, against one deadline.
Architecture & Backend
A more modular architecture designed to make the platform easier to scale, evolve and operate.
MicroservicesWeb & Mobile
New customer experiences across web, iOS and Android.
ChannelsIdentity
Single Sign-On across the digital ecosystem.
SSOContent
A headless content architecture that separated content management from the customer-facing applications.
Headless CMSDelivery & Infrastructure
Deployment processes and infrastructure built around the client's OpenShift environment.
OpenShiftQuality Engineering
QA across channels, integrations and the end-to-end betting experience.
QA- Legacy platform
- New architecture
- Web + Mobile
- Shared digital experience
- Multiple systems
- Unified authentication
- Content
- Headless delivery
- Development
- QA → Deployment
Technology
Platform
- Microservices
- Single Sign-On
- Headless CMS
Channels
- Web
- iOS & Android
Delivery
- OpenShift
- QA & Delivery
04 / The results
Supermatch entered the World Cup on a modernized digital platform.
The platform spanned web and mobile, backed by a new architecture and integrated identity, content and infrastructure capabilities.
For Alabama, the project is a good example of the work we tend to do best: important software, several moving parts, an existing business that can't stop, and a deadline that matters.
- ~2 YEARS
- of continuous engagement
- WEB + MOBILE
- delivered in parallel
- ZERO PAUSE
- to the live operation