Confirmed: YouTube TV Launching Customizable Multiview to All Users in Coming Weeks; NBA League Pass, College Basketball Only
While there are still limitations to what the multiview experience can do, this is a big step forward for sports fans.
From the moment that YouTube TV announced that it was introducing the ability to watch multiple games at once nearly a year ago, one of the chief concerns amongst users is that there was no flexibility in determining what games could be paired together into a four-screen viewing experience. While the company has discussed opening up additional ways for consumers to customize their game-watching, no future plans were confirmed until today. After reports of a “Build a multiview” button appearing on the live TV streaming service on Monday, Jan. 29, The Streamable has confirmed that the feature will roll out to all users in the coming weeks and that it will start with basketball games before hopefully expanding to other sports in the future.
- YouTube TV confirmed to The Streamable that the customizable multiview function will roll out to all users in the coming weeks.
- Currently, only men’s and women’s basketball games and those from NBA League Pass will be included.
- The updated feature will allow users to customize multiview experiences for two to four games.
After the initial reports of the newly added customizable capability began circulating on Tuesday morning, a YouTube TV spokesperson confirmed to The Streamable that the first steps to bring a more user-friendly multiview experience are underway and that they will be available to all subscribers soon.
“We are rolling out this update to all viewers over the next few weeks,” the spokesperson said. “We’re rolling out an update to improve the existing TV experience to help viewers better find their preferred multiview combination.”
Due to the processing power required to stream four unique, individual feeds at once, YouTube TV opted instead to prepackage two, three, and four games into multiview options that subscribers could select from their Home menu. However, during busy game days — especially on college football Saturdays — the options were both limited and difficult to sort through.
To find the exact mix of games that a user wanted to watch, they would have to scroll through sometimes dozens of options; and in many cases, the exact combination of games still wasn’t always an option as a viewer’s location dictated what games were available via local stations.
The initial reports of the Build a multiview option centered specifically on NBA games on Monday night, but the YouTube TV rep informed The Steamable that it would also apply to both men’s and women’s college basketball. However, in terms of NBA games, it will only be available to subscribers to the league’s out-of-market NBA League Pass package.
“Currently, this update will only appear for NBA League Pass and men’s and women’s NCAA basketball content,” the spokesperson said. “We hope to gradually bring this to more live sports over the next few months … The availability of sports multiviews will not be affected by this update - it’ll be dependent on the sports schedule.”
YouTube TV did confirm to The Streamable that this update would apply to multiview combinations of various sizes, so fans will be able to customize streaming experiences of two, three, or four-game combinations.
How Do You Access YouTube TV’s Customizable Multiview?
As the YouTube TV spokesperson indicated to The Streamable, not all subscribers will have access to the updated feature right away, as it will roll out to all users in the coming weeks. However, there are two ways for viewers to get into the customizable multiview experience. Both require there to be games ongoing, but one can be done before you begin watching a game, and the other can be done while the game is already on.
How to Customize Your Multiview Experience Before Watching a Game:
- From the Home screen on YouTube TV, viewers can click into any live men’s or women’s college basketball game or an NBA game via League Pass
- Then, select “Watch in multiview.”
- Finally, click on “Build a multiview.”
How to Customize Your Multiview Experience While Watching a Game:
- While watching a game, click the down arrow on your remote to bring up the options.
- Click on the Multiview tab
- Select “Watch in multiview”
- Click “Build a multiview”
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $72.99/month. This plan includes local channels, 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The service includes an unlimited DVR.