How Dizplai helped Channel 4 turn Crufts into a two-way conversation with dog lovers
Key insights
- Dizplai powered Channel 4’s Crufts broadcast with a live UGC workflow integrating WhatsApp, social media, and the in-studio Social Cube, a rotating 3D display of viewer reactions referenced by the host throughout the show
- 33,000 fans interacted directly via WhatsApp across the four-day event, with 14,500 messages sent on the final day alone
- The hashtag #Crufts generated over 385,000 mentions on Twitter in the build-up to, during, and after the broadcast
- The use of WhatsApp and QR codes was a first for Channel 4, demonstrating appetite for mobile-first audience participation in mainstream linear broadcast
- Dizplai worked alongside production partners Sunset+Vine and Hypothesis Media to ensure all incoming social content was moderated and broadcast-ready in real time
See how Dizplai partnered with Sunset+Vine and Hypothesis Media to power Channel 4’s Crufts broadcast with live UGC from social media and WhatsApp, a first for the channel, generating 33,000 direct interactions and 385,000 Twitter mentions across the four-day event.
What Channel 4 needed: a Crufts broadcast that felt as social as its audience already was
Crufts has one of the most naturally engaged audiences in British television. Dog lovers are vocal, passionate, and already talking about the show across social media throughout the event. Channel 4 wanted to bring that energy inside the broadcast rather than leave it on the outside, transforming Crufts into a socially-driven content experience that reflected how its audience already watched and connected with the show. The challenge was integrating live UGC from multiple social platforms and WhatsApp into a broadcast environment in a way that was moderated, dynamic, and genuinely part of the show rather than a scrolling sidebar.
How Dizplai built a live UGC workflow and Social Cube for the Channel 4 broadcast
Dizplai partnered with Sunset+Vine and Hypothesis Media to power the live broadcast, building the integration layer that pulled social content, images, videos, and WhatsApp messages from multiple platforms into a single moderated production workflow. Content was reviewed in real time and fed through dynamic broadcast graphics, keeping the social layer visible and current throughout the show.
The centrepiece of the integration was the Social Cube, a rotating 3D in-studio display featuring live viewer reactions that the host wove into interviews and audience-led segments throughout the broadcast. The mechanic gave fans a direct line to the studio and gave the production team a constantly refreshed pool of genuine audience content to work with. The use of WhatsApp and QR codes, a first for Channel 4, gave audiences an easy, familiar route to participate that didn’t require them to be on any particular social platform.
The results: 33,000 WhatsApp interactions and 385,000 Twitter mentions across four days
- 33,000 fans interacted directly via WhatsApp across the four-day event, with 14,500 messages sent on the final day alone, showing how engagement built momentum throughout the broadcast rather than peaking and dropping.
- The hashtag #Crufts generated over 385,000 mentions on Twitter in the build-up to, during, and after the broadcast
- WhatsApp and QR code integration was a first for Channel 4, establishing a model for mobile-first audience participation in mainstream linear broadcast that the channel could apply to future programming
FAQs
Dizplai built the live UGC integration and audience participation infrastructure for Channel 4’s Crufts broadcast, working alongside production partners Sunset+Vine and Hypothesis Media. This included a moderated workflow pulling content from social media and WhatsApp into broadcast-ready graphics, and the Social Cube, an in-studio rotating 3D display of live viewer reactions. The integration marked the first use of WhatsApp and QR codes in a Channel 4 broadcast.
The Social Cube is an in-studio display built by Dizplai that features live viewer reactions in a rotating 3D format, making the social response to a show visible inside the broadcast itself. For Crufts, the host used the Social Cube as a live reference point throughout the show, pulling in fan reactions and content during interviews and audience segments. It gives audiences a direct line to the studio and turns UGC from a background metric into a visible part of the broadcast.
Dizplai connects the audience’s preferred social platforms and messaging apps into a single backstage moderation workflow. The production team reviews incoming content in real time, approving submissions that are then pushed to broadcast graphics and, for Crufts, the Social Cube. The moderation layer ensures content is broadcast-ready before it reaches the screen, while the integration speed means the social reaction to what’s happening on air can appear within the same broadcast segment.
WhatsApp gave Crufts fans a direct, low-friction way to contribute to the broadcast without needing to post publicly on social media. For an audience that skews across generations, WhatsApp removed the barrier of having an active social media presence while delivering a more personal and immediate form of participation. The 33,000 direct interactions across the four days, including 14,500 on the final day alone, reflected how strongly the audience took to the format.
Yes. The Crufts model is directly applicable to any broadcaster looking to bring audience social activity inside the show rather than alongside it. Dizplai has delivered similar live UGC and audience participation infrastructure across entertainment, sports, and news formats, with the moderation workflow and display mechanics adapted to suit the specific programme and production environment.
- Tags: Media Networks, Sports
