Google expands Multiview feature to YouTube, but with major limitation
For now, the Multiview magic is exclusive to those with an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription.
Google has finally answered the prayers of sports fans everywhere - its NFL fans at least, by expanding its coveted Multiview feature beyond YouTube TV, its cable subscription service.
For the first time, the platform is rolling out the ability to watch up to four games simultaneously on a single screen directly to YouTube, but there's a catch. For now, the Multiview magic is exclusive to those with an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription.
As one of the perks for subscribers to NFL Sunday Ticket, they will now have access to the Multiview feature on YouTube on a wide range of devices, including TVs, mobile devices, and tablets, starting with the commencement of the NFL season on September 5, 2024. This will allow them to pick and watch between two to four live NFL games simultaneously on a split-screen display, an improvement to the restricted preset picks made available for the multiview feature.
Henry Chikwem
It's worth noting that the NFL Sunday Ticket became a YouTube TV exclusive this year, available as a $350 per year add-on to the $73 per month base service, which already makes YouTube TV one of the priciest streaming subscriptions. Despite the cost, YouTube TV remains one of the biggest cable TV services with over 8 million users, positioning it alongside major providers like Comcast, Charter, and DirecTV.
Beyond Multiview, Google also introduced additional features for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, such as Fantasy View, which integrates NFL Fantasy and Yahoo Fantasy accounts to help fans keep track of their fantasy teams without missing the live action. A spoiler mode has also been launched to hide scores for specific teams, allowing users to watch games later without spoilers.
While this is exciting news for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, there's hope that YouTube will eventually extend the Multiview feature to all users and various content types beyond sports.
For now, YouTube TV subscribers still have a leg up, enjoying Multiview across a wider range of devices. However, the platform's decision to bring this feature to YouTube is a promising sign for the future of interactive viewing experiences.
For those interested in accessing this feature for other sports content outside of the NFL league, a YouTube TV subscription is required, starting at $65 per month for the first three months and $73 per month after.
