As YouTube expands into TV, it’s looking at interactive videos across all formats

The living room has become a battleground for YouTube, as more and more people turn to television. Now the Google-owned platform is trying to make watching videos on TV more interactive, in all formats such as live and short, the listing of new activities shows.

The change is reflected in recent job postings at YouTube that focus on “living room” experiences across product, design, and engineering, live streaming, TV Short, and subscription features. This points to a broader push to deepen engagement on the biggest screen. The move comes as connected TVs account for more than 44% of YouTube viewing time in the US by 2026, up from about 41% in 2022, according to data from eMarketer shared with TechCrunch.

Reference features for listing activities such as chat, giveaways, and multi-device controls for live viewing, and efforts to make Short more active 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 point to working with media partners and brands like YouTube Primetime Channels as part of efforts to build YouTube’s TV offerings.

Recruitment includes US and India. In addition, multiple listings indicate plans to expand YouTube Live’s engineering hub in Bengaluru with a focus on modernizing live streaming for living room environments.

The push comes as YouTube rolls out new features aimed at the living room, including AI-powered voice search on TVs. It’s also working on a second-screen “TV Companion” feature that lets viewers interact with videos from their phones, and launching “Channels,” 24/7 linear streaming, as reported by The Verge. Last month, YouTube partnered with FIFA during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to offer what it described as “immersive viewing” 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.

However, making TV more engaging remains a challenge. Even as YouTube pushes to expand its presence on TV, engagement on the biggest screen still lags behind mobile and desktop. “Viewers don’t interact with TV screens the same way they do with phones. It’s weird,” said Ross Benes, senior TV and broadcast analyst at eMarketer.

He added that interactive features on TV so far have not changed, reducing their impact on viewer behavior.

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

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

YouTube did not respond to a request for comment.