As part of its commemoration of 20 years of the ubiquitous video platform YouTube, Google is revealing a new feature for the live YouTube TV offshoot.
The company’s Multiview feature enables users to tune into multiple live sporting events on the same display. I’ve loved using it on NFL Sundays, to watch College Football, or to tune into the Premier League football and a baseball game at the same time.
With up to four channels offered at a time, and audio determined by which segment you’re hovering over, it looks amazing on the best TVs with plenty of screen real estate.
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However, it has had a couple of major drawbacks until now. First of all, it only applies to sports and second of all YouTube TV picks the channel combinations which you can then select from. That’s about to change.
In today’s announcement, YouTube says “in the next few weeks, YouTube TV members can experiment with building their own multiview with select non-sports content, starting with a small group of popular channels and expanding in the coming months.”
It still sounds as if Google isn’t planning to completely take the reins off the feature as it is only opening it up to popular channels at present.
However, it’s a step in the right direction and moves YouTube TV closer to the rival fuboTV service that allows full customisation of 2, 3 or 4 channels from whatever channels you want to watch, plus the option for live scoreboards.
Elsewhere, YouTube TV subscribers “can enjoy the zen while also being the life of the party with a 48-hour birthday-themed zen channel” as part of the celebrations.
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The company also offered some interesting states from the wider YouTube app, including the fastest of the 300 music videos to make it to a billion plays via the service. It doesn’t make pretty reading to be honest:
Adele – Hello (88 days)
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You and Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee (tied at 97 days)
J Balvin, Willy William – Mi Gente (103 days)
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. (105 days)
It’s enough to make you despair.
