Skip to Content

Add The Streamable as a preferred source on Google to see more streaming news and deals.

YouTube’s TV app prepping to display titles from on-demand streamers

YouTube’s TV app prepping to display titles from on-demand streamers

The move is designed to simplify the process for users who subscribe to services via YouTube’s Primetime Channels.

With a background in sports and entertainment reporting, he’s covered everything from Broadway to college football. He cut the cord in 2014 and has a sharp eye for streaming trends and a soft spot for Hallmark movies.

When it comes to streaming, there is no service that dominates the market than YouTube. When it comes to viewership, the platform outperforms every subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, and in many cases, by exponential numbers. However, the Google-owned platform is not resting on those laurels. Instead, The Information is reporting that the YouTube app on TV — not to be confused with the YouTube TV app, which initially was not clear to me — will start integrating shows and movies from SVOD streamers into the YouTube homepage. While consumers will still have to pay to access this content, the move is designed to eliminate a pain point of having to bounce between sections of the app to access all of the streaming titles you want to watch.

Key Details:

  • YouTube plans to integrate titles from streaming service on its homepage in the next few months.
  • The move is designed to make it easier for users to access shows and movies via their Primetime Channels subscriptions.
  • The platform will also apparently incorporate content from traditional YouTube creators as well.

For the past two and a half years, YouTube’s Primetime Channels have allowed subscribers to sign up for on-demand streamers from within the YouTube ecosystem, consolidating billing and account management. However, that content was housed under the app’s Movies and TV page, making it difficult to access for some subscribers.

Now, Google is set to begin showing certain titles from popular Primetime Channels options on YouTube’s homepage. It was unclear from the report whether these placements would be exclusively reserved for shows and movies on services that users already subscribed to through Primetime Channels, or if they would include shows from other add-on streamers as a form of advertisement. However, based on the stated intention of the project, it does seem that at least the overarching intention will be to highlight popular titles from services that viewers have already signed up for.

The design update is expected to go public in the next few months and is expected to mirror streaming hubs like Prime Video and Apple TV that will make it easier for subscribers to access all of the content available to them through the services that they sign up for. But, because YouTube is YouTube, it sounds as if the live TV streaming platform will begin integrating content from traditional YouTube creators as well.

“The vision is that when you come to our [TV] app and you’re looking for a show,” YouTube’s senior director of product management Kurt Wilms told The Information, “it’ll just blend away whether that show is from a Primetime Channel or that show is from a creator.”

In The Information article, Wilms did not elaborate on how this would work in practice in the app, but it would make sense that the creator channels included would be those that the individual users already subscribed to. Of course, Google rarely misses an opportunity to algorithmically suggest new products and videos for consumers to buy and/or watch, so you are almost guaranteed to see suggestions for other Primetime Channels that you might want to sign up for.

The move to incorporate titles from PrimeTime Channels is most likely designed to keep consumers inside the YouTube ecosystem. The easier it is for users to have all of the streaming content that they want to watch in a single place, the more likely they are to become reliant on the service — and therefore less likely to flip to another app or cancel any subscriptions you’ve signed up for. So, if YouTube can make itself the center of a customer’s streaming experience, it moves even closer to becoming an indispensable utility in more households.

YouTube Primetime Channels offer over 40 individual channels and streaming services to purchase with costs ranging from $2 to $17 per month. Some of the most popular are AMC+, Crunchyroll, Hallmark+, Max, MGM+, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Shudder and STARZ. Primetime Channels is also where you can sign up for out-of-market sports packages as well, including NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, WNBA League Pass, and more.

  • YouTube TV

    YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.

    …

    Sports are a major focus for YouTube TV, with access to national and regional coverage, league networks, and marquee events. The service also serves as the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket, available as an add-on, giving fans access to out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. YouTube TV also offers a smaller sports plan, allowing subscribers access to 30+ sports-oriented channels, including local networks in select markets.

    YouTube TV includes unlimited cloud DVR storage at no extra cost, allowing subscribers to record as many shows as they want and keep recordings for up to nine months. The service is available across a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, streaming players, mobile devices, and web browsers. New subscribers can typically start with a free trial, though the trial length may vary by promotion.

    With its broad channel lineup, strong sports offerings, unlimited DVR, and wide device support, YouTube TV remains one of the most comprehensive live TV streaming services for viewers who want a traditional TV experience without a cable contract.

    Free Trial

    New customers can save $15 per month for 5 months.


Matt Tamanini is the News Editor at The Streamable, where he oversees daily news coverage and editorial strategy, with a particular focus on breaking stories, streaming comparisons, and major industry events. A well-rounded journalist with a diverse background, Matt joined The Streamable in 2022 after holding key editorial roles at several high-profile outlets. He has an extensive career in sports and entertainment journalism, having served as a senior editor for BroadwayWorld, the world’s largest theater website, and as managing editor for Land-Grant Holy Land, which covers Ohio State sports.

Add The Streamable as a preferred source on Google to see more streaming news and deals.

DIRECTV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.