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YouTube TV launches multi-view for news, sports

The channels are "pre-selected," meaning users won't be able to customize which channels they want to watch.

The channels are "pre-selected," meaning users won't be able to customize which channels they want to watch.

The YouTube TV program guide shows an episode of "Yellowstone" on the Paramount Network.
The YouTube TV program guide shows an episode of “Yellowstone” on the Paramount Network. (Graphic by The Desk)

YouTube TV is rolling out an update to its smart TV app that will allow streamers to watch multiple channels at once, a spokesperson for the service confirmed on Wednesday.

The perk is part of a long-anticipated multi-view feature that YouTube TV customers have been requesting for a long time, and one that was tested earlier this year during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Starting this week, YouTube TV is expanding the multi-view feature to include sports, cable news, business news, weather and Spanish-language news content, according to a spokesperson.

The multi-view screens will incorporate “pre-selected” streams, meaning users won’t be able to customize which channels they want to watch at launch. The precise channels offered through the feature weren’t readily available.

For now, the multi-view feature will be available only on smart TV devices — including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV (Google TV) — with access “gradually rolling out” in the coming weeks, YouTube TV said.

The service affirmed it would improve the multi-view feature over the next several months as YouTube TV gears up to host the NFL Sunday Ticket.