YouTube’s TV changes include a redesign and more multiview

YouTube TV members will soon be able to test out “building their own multiview” with select non-sports content, a feature currently limited to March Madness and NFL Sunday Ticket.
YouTube’s TV app is getting a redesign, featuring easier navigation, improved playback quality, and streamlined access to comments and channel info.
The redesigned app may also include paid subscriptions on the homepage, similar to Netflix’s approach.
YouTube Premium subscribers will soon be able to play videos at 4x speed on iOS and Android mobile devices.
These changes are part of YouTube’s efforts to improve its TV experience, which is increasingly popular among users.

Like the idea of multiview, but want it for more than just March Madness and NFL Sunday Ticket? Lucky you, YouTube has announced that in the next few weeks, it’ll be giving YouTube TV members the ability to test out “building their own multiview with select non-sports content.”

The feature will be limited to a “small group of popular channels and expanding in the coming months,” the company said in a release emailed to The Verge. When asked whether any networks have opted out of the feature, YouTube spokesperson Allison Toh told The Verge via email the company is aiming to expand it “to a broad set of networks across all content genres.”

The YouTube app for TVs is getting a redesign soon, too, with “Easier navigation, playback, quality tweaks, plus streamlined access to comments, channel info, and subscribing.” The Information gave a glimpse of what that may mean in March, reporting that the company is prepping a redesign that could make the app look more like Netflix and would include putting paid subscriptions on the app’s homepage. The change seems sensible, considering that YouTube viewers are now using it more on TVs than phones.

Meanwhile,Netflix is getting ready to roll out its own reworked homepage, something it started testing last year.

Finally, the company says it’s rolling out 4x playback speed on iOS and Android mobile devices for YouTube Premium subscribers. The company started testing that option back in January.

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Q. What is YouTube’s new multiview feature?

A. The feature allows users to test out “building their own multiview with select non-sports content” in the next few weeks.

Q. Which networks will be included in the initial rollout of multiview?

A. A “small group of popular channels” will be included, with plans to expand to a broader set of networks across all content genres in the coming months.

Q. Will any networks have opted out of the multiview feature?

A. YouTube is aiming to expand it to a broad set of networks across all content genres, but no specific details on which networks may opt out are available.

Q. What changes can users expect from the redesigned YouTube app for TVs?

A. The redesign will include “Easier navigation, playback, quality tweaks, plus streamlined access to comments, channel info, and subscribing.”

Q. How does the redesigned app compare to Netflix’s upcoming reworked homepage?

A. The redesigned app may look more like Netflix, with a focus on making it easier for users to find content.

Q. Will paid subscriptions be displayed prominently on the YouTube app’s homepage?

A. Yes, according to reports, the redesign could include putting paid subscriptions on the app’s homepage.

Q. What is YouTube’s new 4x playback speed feature?

A. The feature will allow YouTube Premium subscribers to play videos at four times their normal speed on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Q. When did YouTube start testing its 4x playback speed feature?

A. The company started testing the option back in January.

Q. Why is YouTube making these changes, particularly with regards to multiview and the redesigned app?

A. The changes are likely aimed at improving user experience, particularly as viewers increasingly use YouTube on TVs rather than phones.

Q. Will the multiview feature be limited to just sports content or will it expand beyond that?

A. According to YouTube, the feature will initially be limited to “select non-sports content,” but plans to expand to a broader set of networks across all content genres in the coming months.