Report: YouTube Eyes Redesign For TV App As More Users Are Watching Than Ever

The YouTube app for TV — not to be confused with YouTube TV — is reportedly looking to take on a redesign in order to make more paid content available to users. This move would put the app in line to compete with other paid content providers like Amazon Prime Video or Disney+.

Like all streaming companies at this point, YouTube has a bottom line. Even if pushing it means it needs to offer more paid content to users, it’s going to do that. We’re seeing that with YouTube TV among its trend of price hikes and additional myriads of paid content like STARZ and Paramount+ connections.

It looks like YouTube is reportedly looking to do the same thing to its TV app through a redesign (via The Information). Instead of sticking to the design we’re used to on the mobile or web app, the new design would incorporate more paid content. Apparently, this redesign would have the app look more like any other streaming app on TV. Think of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+.

YouTube made note that more users are watching on TVs than ever before, which means more users are likely to watch paid content if it’s right there in front of them.

It sounds like the company wants to offer a lot of what’s already available through the existing paid channels on the YouTube app, except a little more in the user’s face. Rather than hidden content sections, they’ll be more front-and-center. The move would also merge creator videos marked as “episodes” into paid channel content streams, blending available videos together. That will be possible due to a new option for creators to create seasons and episodes.

The move comes as YouTube has just launched a Premium Lite option that will allow users to watch “most” videos ad-free. The new option comes in at $7.99/month — half of what full Premium costs. This addition might play into how YouTube designs its new app, with Premium Lite members more willing to subscribe to further content since they aren’t paying as much.

YouTube notes that this TV app redesign will be rolling out “in the coming months.”