YouTube TV, one of the leading live TV streaming services in the United States, announced today, that its highly anticipated customizable Multiview feature is now live, offering subscribers the ability to tailor their viewing experience with more channels than ever before. This significant upgrade allows users to watch up to four live streams simultaneously on a single screen, with the freedom to select their preferred channels, marking a major leap forward for sports fans, news enthusiasts, and multitaskers alike.
In a post on Reddit YouTube TV Said:
Hi YouTube TV subscribers!
We heard your feedback loud and clear… Over the next few weeks we’ll be experimenting with the ability for YouTube TV members to build a multiview with select channels beyond live sports. We’re starting with a small list of popular national channels across a variety of content genres and have plans to expand to more, including local channels, over the coming months as we have further testing from our users. The channels that are part of this experiment may change over time, but we’re currently testing with select nationally available channels like ESPN, Bravo, and USA. We’ll be slowly rolling this experiment out to users, so don’t worry if you don’t have access yet. You will soon!
You’ll be able to find these multiviews in the same way as before.
- From the Home tab, click into a multiview from the “Watch in multiview” row or “Top picks for you” row for personalized multiview recommendations.
- On your smart TV or streaming device, start watching an eligible channel and tap down on your controller to find a multiview.
- On your mobile device or tablet, start watching an eligible channel and tap “Multiview” on the player to find a multiview.
We’re also planning to launch a new “Always-On” multiview that includes your local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC channels. Note: This is different from the above customization experiment which local channels aren’t currently a part of, but we do plan to add local channels to it in the near future!
We hope that you’re as excited about this as we are and we can’t wait to hear your feedback! The more you all test, the sooner we can launch further channels and improvements 🙂
These new features had been first announced in April but are now rolling out.
The Multiview feature, first introduced in 2023 during the NCAA basketball tournament, previously limited users to preselected stream combinations, primarily focused on sports content. However, the newly launched version expands compatibility to include a broader range of channels, such as ESPN, Fox Sports 1, CNN, MSNBC, BBC News, and The Weather Channel, among others. For the first time, subscribers can mix and match sports, news, and weather programming, creating personalized Multiview layouts directly from the YouTube TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV, and mobile devices including iPhones and iPads.
To access the feature, users can navigate to the “Home” tab, select a live game or channel, and choose “Watch in Multiview.” When launched on your device the new “Build a Multiview” option allows subscribers to pick up to four eligible streams from a curated list of supported channels, a process Google has streamlined for ease of use. While full customization across all YouTube TV’s 100+ channels remains limited due to server-side processing constraints, the expanded channel lineup and customization options represent a significant improvement. Google confirmed the feature is now available to all subscribers, with plans to add more channels in the coming months.
The feature’s server-side processing ensures compatibility across a wide range of devices, making it accessible to all subscribers without requiring high-end hardware. As YouTube TV continues to grow, surpassing 10 million subscribers according to industry estimates, this update solidifies its position as a top choice for cord-cutters seeking a flexible alternative to traditional cable.
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