YouTube is leveraging the humble playlist in search of more viewership on TV screens. Creators who are enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program can now reformat playlists as shows: Serialized collections that make YouTube look more like Netflix.
As explained in a Google Support post, YouTube’s show format works best with videos that have a “consistent story or topic” as well as similarities between their intros and thumbnails. YouTube is also encouraging creators to bring “high-quality video and sound” to their shows.
That pointer gives us an idea of YouTube’s goal for its creator-curated shows. The trial users of the new format turned their playlists into serial collections that wouldn’t be out of place on a premium streaming service like Netflix or Prime Video.
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To that end, creators can dress up their shows with poster art, custom backdrops, and title cards. Those cosmetic choices will give shows the same Netflix-inspired look YouTube recently tried out on its TV app.
On X, YouTube spelled out the benefits that will come creators’ way when they try out the new feature. “It unlocks a polished TV experience for your series, an episodic setup that keeps viewers coming back for more, [and] a simple setup using an existing playlist or a brand new show,” reads the tweet.
Shows offer plenty of benefits for YouTube, too. After surpassing one billion hours of daily TV watch time in 2024, YouTube has become the most dominant platform in the streaming TV landscape. To further engage with its growing TV audience, YouTube has added new features that turn TV screen viewership into an interactive experience.
During the tenure of CEO Neal Mohan, YouTube has made creators part of its TV screen revolution. It has backed some of the biggest names in its community as they build serial programs that rival the biggest-budget productions on terrestrial TV. Some of those YouTube-set programs, including Kareem Rahma’s Subway Takes, have even scored Emmy Award nominations.
Through YouTube’s shows, a new generation of ambitious creators can give their work the Netflix treatment. Shows may be a cosmetic feature at heart, but it speaks to the direction YouTube and its creators are headed.
