YouTube TV’s Multiview Feature Is Now (Almost) Fully Customizable.
Multiview has been one of YouTube TV’s best features for the past few years, especially for sports fans like me. Multiview lets you watch up to four live broadcasts simultaneously and switch between them (and the audio) when something interesting happens. When it initially launched during March Madness in 2023, Multiview was limited to certain preset channel combinations, but in January of this year, YouTube confirmed that a fully customizable Multiview feature is in the works. It’s now available to some subscribers, including me.
Trying out YouTube TV’s multi-window mode.
With the customizable multi-window mode, you can choose up to four channels from different content categories, so you’re not limited to just sports, news, or a preset viewing mode. As Reddit users noted , this update allows you to mix and match sports channels that previously couldn’t be watched simultaneously or weren’t available in all combinations—something I’m particularly excited about. Additionally, since you can choose from two to four streams, you don’t have to leave extra channels in preset viewing modes for things you don’t want to watch or after a program ends (for example, when a sports broadcast transitions to local news).
I tried and succeeded in creating a variety of random view combinations. First, I combined ESPN with CNN, NFL Live, and TNT; then, Golf Channel plus AMC, Fox Sports, and the SEC Network. The only issue I had was with a local news channel: when I tried to add it to my custom view, I got a “video unavailable” error, even though it was selectable. I still use the custom view most often for sports streams, especially during seasons like college basketball and football, when there are many games running simultaneously, often on channels owned by different networks, and I want to select just the two or three channels I need rather than a full four-stream mode.
How to use YouTube TV’s multi-window mode
To create a custom multiview, open a live stream in full screen, then press the down button on your remote (on mobile, tap the player) and select “Multiview.” If your account has this option, tap “Your Multiview” to select up to four live streams from different content categories, including sports, news, movies, series, and “other.” YouTube TV will also show you recommended streams. To remove and/or replace channels, press the down button again and tap “Edit Multiview” > “Your Multiview.” Your current streams will be at the top of the “Recommended” section. From here, you can delete them.
As Android Authority reports , this feature may not yet be available to all YouTube TV users. Make sure your app is updated, but keep in mind that it may take time to roll out.