YouTube to Overhaul Its TV App for a More TV-Like Experience
YouTube
YouTube is gearing up to roll out a redesign of its TV app in the coming weeks.
According to The Information, the update will bring paid content from various streaming services via Primetime Channels to the homepage, shifting it from its current spot in the Movies and TV tab. The redesign will also introduce shelves based on categories and curated collections of creator content.
A More Curated, Premium Experience for YouTube on TV
This update aims to create a more TV-like experience by placing YouTube’s premium content front and center, potentially driving more sign-ups. The bigger shift, however, is the blending of premium and creator content, making it easier for viewers to discover what they want—whether it’s from independent creators or Hollywood studios. This blending of content aligns with what was initially envisioned when Primetime Channels first launched.
As TV screens are now the most popular way to watch YouTube content, this redesign will bring YouTube closer to the experience of other streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Despite this success, YouTube has no plans to revive its original programming days. YouTube executive Pedro Pina shared at MIP London that there is no appetite "whatsoever” to bring back YouTube Originals, which it shut down in 2022.
Netflix’s Push for Social Features
Netflix
Meanwhile, Netflix is doubling down on social features and creator-led content. After launching Moments—a feature allowing viewers to share clips from TV shows and movies—Netflix is now hiring a Product Manager for Mobile Create & Share to “build products that help members create and share content in engaging ways on and off Netflix.”
What does this mean? It could signal expanded functionality for Moments, such as enabling users to incorporate clips into their social media content. It might also introduce new social features, like the ability to create profiles, follow others, and share what they’re watching—offering fresh ways to discover content.
Different Strategies, Same Focus on Content Discovery
Although YouTube and Netflix are taking different approaches and, in many ways, borrowing from each other's playbooks, both are focused on increasing content discovery. YouTube is concentrating on a curated, premium experience that thrives on the TV screen, while Netflix aims to drive discovery through snackable content and user interaction, primarily on smaller devices like phones.
