YouTube is intensifying its focus on the living room as it seeks to make TV viewing more interactive and community-driven. Recent job listings reveal the Google-owned platform is expanding its engineering, design, and product teams to enhance features like live streaming, Shorts on TV, and subscription offerings tailored for the biggest screen in the home.
The shift comes as connected TVs now account for over 44% of YouTube watch time in the United States, up from about 41% in 2022, according to eMarketer data. To capitalise on this growth, YouTube is developing tools for real-time audience engagement during live broadcasts, including chat, gifting, and multi-device controls. It is also working to make Shorts more interactive and community-oriented on TV, and expanding partnerships with connected TV and streaming device makers to broaden distribution.
Several roles are based in Bengaluru, where YouTube is building out a Live engineering hub focused on modernising live streaming for TV surfaces. The company is also investing in products such as YouTube Primetime Channels and deepening ties with media partners.
These efforts are part of a broader push to transform the TV experience. YouTube recently introduced AI-powered voice search for TVs, a second-screen “TV Companion” feature that allows viewers to interact with videos from their phones, and “Stations,” 24/7 linear streams. Last month, it partnered with FIFA to deliver an “immersive” viewing experience for the FIFA World Cup 2026 across devices. YouTube now accounts for 12.5% of all TV viewing in the US.
However, making TV more interactive presents challenges. Unlike mobile and desktop, TV screens have historically seen lower engagement, with interactive features remaining niche. “Viewers don’t interact with TV screens the same way they do with phones. It’s clunky,” said Ross Benes, senior analyst for TV and streaming at eMarketer.
Despite this, YouTube’s unique position—straddling social media and traditional streaming—gives it an edge. “YouTube doesn’t just lead a category, it is its own category,” Benes noted.
Whether YouTube can translate its dominance on TV into more interactive viewing habits remains to be seen, particularly as user behaviour on the biggest screen continues to differ from mobile.
