Apple Launches Beta of Multiview Function for Live Sports; More Details Now Available
The ability to watch multiple sports games at the same time has been a must-have for fans ever since the introduction of picture-in-picture in the 1980s. The technology has come a long way in the intervening years, and now more streaming providers are integrating the technology into their platforms.
The latest adopter of this feature is Apple. It was reported in late March that Apple was at work on a Multiview mode for the Apple TV app, which would allow viewers with MLS Season Pass subscriptions or fans enjoying “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV+ to enjoy up to four games at a single time.
Now, Apple is taking the next step toward making the Multiview function available to the public. Reporting from 9to5 Mac indicates that Apple has made Multiview a part of its beta test for tvOS 16.5, which is live now for users of the Apple TV 4K device. There’s still no word from the company as to when this feature will be more widely available, but beta testing means that it’s fairly far along in the process.
To start watching in Multiview, users need only start streaming a single game. When the Multiview feature is available, a grid icon appears in the controls toolbar. Clicking it causes the window featuring game video to minimize while the user picks from a selection of other games available below. Users can then pick which games they want to enjoy in their Multiview grid, up to four at a time.
Users are also able to customize the picture within Multiview mode. Symmetrical viewing boxes are the default, but the size of each window can be adjusted so users can decide if they want one game’s video to be larger than the others. Only the audio of the game being focused on will play, however; users can swipe with their Siri remote to change the audio feed to another game.
Apple is not the only streaming provider attempting to roll out an option that allows users to watch multiple games at once. YouTube TV tested a similar feature during the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament in 2023, as it gears up to launch what it calls “Mosaic Mode” for the start of the NFL season. This year will be YouTube TV’s first as the home of the NFL’s out-of-market games service NFL Sunday Ticket, so having a way for fans to watch multiple games at once will be crucial.
Apple TV device users with Fubo have been accustomed to watching multiple games at once for some time. In January 2022, Fubo released an update that allowed users on Apple TV to watch not just more than one game simultaneously; it also gave them the ability to combine games from across different sports into one, ultimate fan experience.
It could still take a few months for Apple’s Multiview feature to hit the market. There are bugs to be ironed out, and the beta test for Multiview just started this past weekend, so it’s likely Apple will allow it to continue for at least a few weeks to gather as much data as it can.
MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is a video streaming service that offers every match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts. It offers both English and Spanish announcers. MLS Season Pass also offers pre-match coverage, post-match analysis, highlights, player profiles, interviews, club content, match replays, live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, and more.