You can now watch up to four live channels on one screen at the same time, and finally pick the channels yourself instead of taking whatever set YouTube TV hands you. That four-on-one-screen view is called multiview, and YouTube TV is launching a version you fully control. Choose any live channels you like, including ones from paid extras like NFL Sunday Ticket, and drop up to four of them on the screen at once. The old setup only let you pick from ready-made groups that YouTube put together for you.
Ghacks reported the full launch after an earlier limited release, and Variety reported that custom multiview now covers nearly the whole live channel lineup.
What changes
Until now, multiview on YouTube TV was useful but locked in. You could watch several games at once, but only in the combinations YouTube picked. If the exact mix you wanted wasn't on the list, you took the closest ready-made group and moved on.
The new builder lets you browse live programming through category chips (recommended, sports, news, shows, movies) and assemble your own grid of up to four streams. You can pair a local game with a national broadcast, keep a news channel running next to a sporting event, or combine regular YouTube TV channels with paid extras.
That support for paid extras matters for NFL Sunday Ticket. YouTube TV is the home of Sunday Ticket and has been trying to make the package feel built in. Custom multiview gives football viewers their own producer chair on busy Sundays.
What does not work
This is a live-TV feature only. Saved videos and DVR recordings are not part of the custom multiview builder. You cannot stitch together saved shows, movies, or old games. Some family content is also left out.
Device support is broad but not universal. Older hardware that can't handle the full builder will get a simpler version focused on major events like NFL games or the World Cup. Google says fewer than 5 percent of older devices lack the processing power for the full screen.
Why it matters
People who watch a lot of live sports don't just want four screens. They want their four screens. The local broadcast, the national game, the fantasy-relevant matchup, and a news or weather channel off to the side. The old ready-made groups never quite hit that.
For YouTube TV this also helps the service feel like more than a cable replacement with a cloud DVR. Live streaming services have spent years copying the cable bundle. Multiview is one of the places where streaming can do something cable boxes never handled well.
The rollout is happening over the next few weeks for devices and plans that support it. If the custom builder isn't visible in your account yet, it is probably still on the way rather than needing an app reinstall.
