Here’s a mind-bending fact: 700 million hours of YouTube content is being watched every day. In fact, YouTube’s global community consists of over 2 billion viewers worldwide. It was even reported earlier this year that more people prefer YouTube over both streaming services and social media. When that many people are hungry for that much content it’s crucial that their viewing experience is streamlined and simple.
Knowing that, this week, YouTube announced the launch of a new feature that makes watching on a connected TV (CTV) more interactive and intuitive. YouTube discovered that viewers were using their smartphones to like and subscribe to content that they were watching on their TVs. These insights directly led YouTube to forgo attempts to fit features into TVs and instead set their sights on connecting those TVs to smartphones.
The new function that YouTube has introduced allows viewers to connect their smartphone with their CTV for an optimal, convenient experience that allows them to get the most out of the platform. A Nielsen Audience Report revealed that nearly 90% of people use a second digital device while watching TV and over 70% of those viewers search for content directly related to what they’re watching.
When YouTube first became available on TV screens in 2010, the experience was less than ideal. And for the past 12 years, the company has struggled to recreate the simplicity that comes with a smartphone, laptop, or tablet with the navigational limitations that a remote control brings. However, with the recent launch, YouTube believes that its new syncing function solves that problem.
Now, whenever you’re watching YouTube on your TV and want to interact with the content, all you have to do is open the app on your iOS or Android device. As long as you are signed into the same YouTube account on both devices, your smartphone will automatically ask if you would like to connect to your TV. When you select “Connect,” the two will be synchronized and you’ll have the ability to interact with the video that you’re watching on the TV from the convenience of your fingertips without any disruptions.
YouTube is also using this concept to test other functionalities like browsing and shopping for featured products.