Creating & Configuring Channels
Channels are created and configured in the Blue Billywig Online Video Platform (OVP) under Content Management > Channels.
Creating a Channel
Click Add Channel to open the creation dialog. Two fields are required:
- Channel Name — an internal name for the channel
- Channel Type:
- Single Page — a custom page with configurable content blocks and detail pages. This is the most common type.
- Multi-Page — a navigation-based channel with tabs linking to subchannels. Used for organizing multiple content sections under one channel.
After creation, you land on the General tab to configure styling and behavior.
Channel Tabs
Single Page Channels
- General — styling, fonts, colors, playback behavior
- Elements — add and arrange content blocks
- Detail Page — configure how detail pages look
Multi-Page Channels
- General — styling, fonts, colors, playback behavior
- Navigation — configure tabs linking to subchannels
General Settings
Styling
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Color Theme | Light or Dark. Adjusts default background and text colors. | Light |
| Primary Font | Font for headings and titles. Choose from built-in web fonts or upload a custom font. | Montserrat |
| Primary Font Color | Color for primary text. | #141414 |
| Secondary Font | Font for body text and descriptions. | Montserrat |
| Secondary Font Color | Color for secondary text. | #141414 |
| Background Color | Channel background. Presets: Grey Dark, Grey Light, White, Transparent. | White (#ffffff) |
| Border Radius | Roundness of corners on thumbnails and cards. | 5px |
| Show Gradients | Add gradient overlays on elements. | Off |
| Channel Padding | Left/right outer spacing. | 8px |
| Maximum Width | Constrain the channel to a max width. 0 = full width. | 0 |
Custom fonts configured in the OVP are loaded at runtime from the Blue Billywig CDN. Built-in web fonts (Montserrat, Roboto, etc.) work out of the box on all platforms. Custom uploaded fonts also work — they are fetched when the channel loads.
Button Styling
Buttons (e.g., "Show more", navigation items) can be styled separately for default and hover states:
| Setting | Default State | Hover State |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Outlined | Solid |
| Border Radius | 5px | — |
| Font Color | Configurable | Configurable |
| Button/Stroke Color | Configurable | Configurable |
| Outline Width (if outlined) | Configurable | — |
Playback Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Play In | Where videos play when clicked: Detail Page (opens a detail view), Video Player (plays in the channel's player block, if present), or Deep Link (navigates to video URL). | Detail Page |
In native apps, Detail Page is the recommended setting. The native SDK renders the detail page with a native video player for best performance. Deep Link mode delivers the URL via the onExternalLink callback instead of opening it in a browser.
| Preview Title Display | Where to show video titles on thumbnails: Below Thumbnail, Bottom Left, or Hide. | Below Thumbnail | | Preview Timestamp Display | Where to show video duration: Bottom Left, Bottom Right, Top Left, Top Right, or Hide. | Bottom Right |
Content Protection
If your publication uses Content Protection Policies (CPP), you can select a policy to restrict access to channel content. Protected channels require a JWT or RPC token to view. In native apps, pass the token via the jwt prop on the channel component.
Channel Elements
Channels are built from content blocks that you add and arrange in the Elements tab. Blocks can be reordered by dragging.
Header Blocks
One header block can be placed at the top of the channel. Two types:
Header Logo Title — simple header with a logo image and/or title text.
Featured Header — a large hero section with up to 5 rotating slides. Each slide has:
- Header text and description
- A featured video (clip, playlist, or project)
- Featured image (desktop + mobile variants)
- Optional logo image
Featured headers can be Full Width or Contained, and images can use Fit (retain image width) or Fill (fix image height) mode.
Player Block
One player block per channel. Displays a video player showing a clip, playlist, or project.
When showing a playlist, choose a layout:
- Single — full-width player only
- Playlist Right — player on the left, playlist items on the right
- Playlist Below — player on top, playlist items below (as slider, carousel, or grid)
Options include showing/hiding the player title and description.
In native apps, the player block is replaced by a native video player using the Blue Billywig native player. The layout options above still apply to how the playlist items are displayed around the native player.
Playlist Blocks
Add multiple playlist blocks to display content collections. Each block has:
- Title — section heading (can sync with the playlist's title)
- Content — select a playlist. Supports regular playlists and playlist collections (which contain sub-playlists).
- Layout — Cliplist (horizontal slider), Carousel, or Grid
- Thumbnail size — Small, Medium, or Large (separate setting for desktop and mobile)
- Aspect ratio — 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 21:9, 4:5
- Load more behavior (Grid only) — Pagination, Infinite Scroll, Load More Button, or Show All Items
- Background — optional background color and/or image (desktop + mobile)
Featured Block
A large hero-style element with a custom image, title, and a single featured video. Recommended image size: 1600x600px.
Promotional Block
A banner linking to an external URL. Available in Large or Small layout. Includes a click-through URL and option to open in a new tab.
In native apps, promotional block clicks are delivered via the onExternalLink callback. The app must handle opening the URL — it is not opened automatically. Without an onExternalLink handler, clicks on promotional blocks are silently ignored.
Detail Page Configuration
When Play In is set to Detail Page, clicking a video opens a dedicated page with the player and related content.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Display Mode | Fullscreen (full-screen overlay) or Modal (popup window). In native apps, both modes open a native fullscreen player. | Fullscreen |
| Player Alignment | Left, Full Width, or Right | Left |
| Show Related Items | Display related videos alongside the player | On |
| Related List Type | Carousel or Vertical List | Carousel |
| Show Thumbnail as Background | Use the video thumbnail as page background | Off |
| Enable Background Blur | Apply blur effect to background thumbnail | Off |
| Show Metadata | Display video metadata (description, tags, etc.) | Off |
| Background Color | Custom background color for detail pages | — |
Multi-Page Navigation
For multi-page channels, the Navigation tab lets you build a tab bar linking to subchannels or external URLs.
Navigation Bar Styling
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Alignment | Left, Center, or Right | Center |
| Background Color | Tab bar background | White |
| Font Family | Tab label font | — |
Navigation Item Styling
Each tab item has default, hover, and active states with configurable:
- Text color
- Background color
- Underline (on/off)
- Border radius
Navigation Items
Add items to the navigation bar. Each item has:
- Label — the tab text
- Type — Channel (links to a subchannel) or URL (links to an external page)
Items can be reordered by dragging.
Navigation items of type URL are delivered via the onExternalLink callback in native apps. The app must handle opening them.
Preview
The OVP includes a live preview panel with responsive breakpoints:
- Desktop — full width
- Tablet — 800px
- Mobile — 478px
The preview shows exactly how the channel will appear to end users, updated in real time as you change settings.
Channel URL
Once created, the channel is available at:
https://{publication}.bbvms.com/ch/{channelId}
Use this URL (with .json appended) as the channelUrl prop in the SDK:
https://{publication}.bbvms.com/ch/{channelId}.json