YouTube launches new TV-focused tools for creators

YouTube beefed up tools for creators on Wednesday as it competes with streaming rivals such as Netflix on the biggest screen in most homes: the television.

The Alphabet-owned video-sharing platform popular on computers, tablets and smartphones has been gaining audiences on televisions as “smart” TVs linked to the internet have become common.

YouTube’s subscription streaming service has also been gaining traction, offering live broadcasting on more than 100 channels, in partnership with existing networks.

“It’s the fastest-growing screen,” YouTube chief Neal Mohan said of televisions at a presentation to content creators in New York. “So, it is a very large surface for all of our creators.”

The new tools include ways to optimize content for display on large screens and offer the content in formats more akin to the TV norm of episodes and seasons.

People worldwide watch more than a billion hours of YouTube video daily on home televisions, Mohan added.

The number of creators who make their livings from YouTube has climbed about 30 percent during the past year, according to the company.

Streaming made “TV history” in July, accounting for 41.4 percent of total television viewing time in the United States, according to Nielsen.

YouTube became the first streaming platform to top a 10-percent share of that TV viewing time, with Netflix second at 8.4 percent, according to Nielsen.

To build on its momentum, YouTube will begin offering a “cinematic” version of creator videos, which will be optimized for viewing on TVs.

YouTube also announced it will enable creators to organize content into episodes or seasons, a move designed to be more familiar to TV audiences.

Televisions let YouTube take advantage of the “binge-watching” phenomenon born of the on-demand content era, allowing viewers to devour episodes in rapid succession for long periods.

TV is also a more traditional way of viewing than smartphones, especially for older audiences accustomed to settling in to watch in their living rooms.

“It’s clear that our living room presence is growing across multiple demographics and ages,” YouTube product management director Thomas Kim said at a roundtable discussion with journalists.

Kim noted that he had heard from creators eager to make more TV-style shows for their audiences.

“We have seen some really great examples of creators who have made episodic content and have been very successful,” Kim said.