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The living room has become a central battleground for YouTube, with more people turning to their television screens. The Google-owned platform is now trying to make watching videos on TV more interactive, via formats such as live streaming and shorts, and new function listings are emerging.
This shift is reflected in a wave of recent job postings on YouTube that focus on “living room” experiences in product, design, and engineering, which include live streaming, Shorts on TV, and subscription features. These point to a broader push to deepen engagement on the bigger screen. The move comes as connected TVs accounted for more than 44% of YouTube viewing time in the US in 2026, up from about 41% in 2022, according to data from eMarketer shared with TechCrunch.
Reference features for job listings such as Chat, gifting, and multi-device controls For live viewing, along with efforts to create Shorts videos More interactive and community driven On TV. Emphasize some roles Shared lived experiences That connects creators and audiences in real-time, while highlighting others Working with connected TV and streaming partners To expand distribution. Other listings also refer to Working with media partners And products like YouTube Primetime Channels as part of efforts to create TV shows on YouTube.
Recruitment extends to the United States and India. Furthermore, multiple listings show plans for this Expand the Engineering Center on YouTube Live In Bengaluru, it focused on updating live streaming to living room surfaces.
This push comes as YouTube rolls out new features aimed at the living room, including… AI-powered voice search On TVs. It is also working on a second-screen “TV Companion” feature that allows viewers to interact with videos from their phones, and has introduced “Stations,” which are 24/7 linear streams. I mentioned By the edge. Last month on YouTube Partnering with FIFA It turned the 2026 FIFA World Cup to deliver what it described as an “immersive” viewing experience across devices. These efforts come as the platform’s presence on television continues to grow, with YouTube now included represents 12.5% For all TV views.
However, making TV more interactive is still a challenge. Even as YouTube seeks to expand its presence on TV, engagement on the larger screen has historically lagged behind mobile and desktop. “Viewers don’t interact with TV screens the same way they interact with phones. It’s a cliche,” said Ross Bennis, senior TV and streaming analyst at eMarketer.
He added that interactive features on television have so far remained specialized, which limits their impact on viewer behavior.
Despite the challenges, YouTube’s position in the market could give it an edge as it experiments with new formats on TV. “YouTube straddles the line between social streaming and traditional streaming, and continues to outperform both. YouTube doesn’t just lead a category, it’s its own category.” Bennis told TechCrunch.
It remains to be seen whether YouTube can translate its dominance on TV into more interactive viewing, especially since user behavior on the larger screen still differs from mobile.
YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.