As YouTube grows on TV, it eyes more interactive video across formats

The living room has become a central battleground for YouTube, as more people turn to television screens. Now the Google-owned platform is trying to make watching videos on TV more interactive, across formats like live and Shorts, new job listings show.

The shift is reflected in a wave of recent job postings at YouTube focused on “living room” experiences across product, design, and engineering, spanning live streaming, Shorts on TV, and subscription features. These point to a broader push to deepen engagement on the biggest screen. The move comes as connected TVs accounted for over 44% of YouTube watch time in the U.S. in 2026, up from about 41% in 2022, according to data from eMarketer shared with TechCrunch.

Job listings reference features such as chatting, gifting, and multi-device controls for live viewing, alongside efforts to make Shorts more interactive and community-driven on TV. Some roles emphasize shared live experiences that connect creators and audiences in real time, while others highlight work with connected TV and streaming device partners to expand distribution. Other listings also point to work with media partners and products such as YouTube Primetime Channels as part of efforts to build out YouTube’s TV offerings.

Hiring spans the U.S. and India. Moreover, multiple listings show plans to expand a YouTube Live engineering hub in Bengaluru focused on modernizing live streaming for living room surfaces.

The 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 lets viewers interact with videos from their phones, and has introduced “Stations,” 24/7 linear streams, as reported by The Verge. Last month, YouTube struck a partnership with FIFA around the FIFA World Cup 2026 to offer what it described as an “immersive” viewing experience across devices. The efforts come as the platform’s presence on TV continues to grow, with YouTube now accounting for 12.5% of all TV viewing.

Nonetheless, making TV more interactive remains a challenge. Even as YouTube pushes to expand its presence on TV, engagement on the biggest screen has historically lagged behind mobile and desktop. “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.

He added that interactive features on TV have so far remained niche, limiting their impact on viewer behavior.

Despite the challenges, YouTube’s position in the market could give it an advantage as it experiments with new formats on TV. “YouTube straddles the line between social and typical streaming, and it continues to outdistance each. YouTube doesn’t just lead a category, it is its own category.” Benes told TechCrunch.

Whether YouTube can translate its dominance on TV into more interactive viewing remains to be seen, particularly as user behavior on the biggest screen continues to differ from mobile.

YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.