YouTube TV Unleashes Fully Customizable Multiview for All Channels

YouTube TV has officially rolled out its highly anticipated fully custom multiview feature, allowing subscribers to curate their viewing experience like never before. This expansion means users can now mix and match any live channels, including content from add-on packages like NFL Sunday Ticket, creating personalized sports, news, or entertainment grids.

Key Takeaways

• YouTube TV's custom multiview is now available to all users.
• Users can select any live content, including across different subscription packages.
• The feature is limited to live content only; VOD and DVR recordings are not supported.
• Some "family friendly" content may be restricted from multiview.
• The full custom user experience may not be available on a small percentage of older devices.

A New Era of Personalized Viewing

Previously, YouTube TV's multiview feature was primarily focused on sports and offered a limited selection of pre-set channel combinations. The new "multiview builder" empowers users to take complete control, moving beyond recommended channels to select any live content they desire. This includes the ability to combine streams from the base YouTube TV plan with add-ons such as NFL Sunday Ticket, offering an unprecedented level of personalization for sports fans and beyond.

How It Works

The multiview builder presents several predefined categories to help users get started, including:

• Recommended (tailored to viewing habits)
• Sports
• News
• Shows
• Movies
• Other live content

However, the ultimate flexibility lies in the ability to pick any live channel, regardless of category. This allows for truly unique viewing setups, whether it's tracking multiple games simultaneously or keeping up with breaking news from various sources.

Limitations to Consider

While the new custom multiview offers extensive freedom, there are a couple of notable restrictions. Firstly, the feature is exclusively for live content. Video-on-demand (VOD) and DVR recordings cannot be incorporated into a multiview setup. Secondly, certain "family friendly" content will also be ineligible for customization within multiview.

Furthermore, device compatibility is a factor. Google states that the full custom user experience will be available on the vast majority of devices, including living room and mobile platforms. However, a small subset of older devices, accounting for less than 5% of users, may not fully support the custom user interface. On these devices, users will still have access to a multiview builder, but it will be streamlined to focus on major "tentpole" events like the NFL or the World Cup.