5 new features to help creators shine on TV screens
The year's biggest cultural moments, from blockbuster trailers to major match highlights, are happening on YouTube. More and more, people are gathering to watch them on their living room TVs. As YouTube takes center stage on the biggest screen in the home, viewers expect higher quality content and better ways to find what to watch next.
We’re rolling out new tools designed to make any YouTube content a premier experience on TV.
Why now? Because the living room is increasingly the new prime time for creators: in the last year, the number of YouTube channels earning six figures or more in revenue from TV screens is up by over 45%. And, in India, YouTube reached over 75M people in India ages 18+ on connected TV in April 2025. To fuel this momentum, we're giving creators 5 new ways to make their content look incredible while making it easier for viewers to discover and shop.
Stunning first impressions
First impressions are everything on the big screen. Soon, we’ll expand the thumbnail file limit from 2MB to 50MB, allowing stunning 4K-resolution images that grab attention. We’ve begun testing larger VOD uploads with select creators as well.
We’re also introducing a new AI-powered feature that automatically enhances older videos, upscaling them from SD to HD at no extra cost. Of course, original files are always kept intact so creators can always opt-out, with the goal to eventually support resolutions up to 4K.
Channeling the TV experience
It’s not just about the quality of individual videos, it’s about the entire channel experience. We’re expanding immersive previews, which automatically play videos to bring creators’ channels to life, to both the home page and search, enhancing content discovery and engagement. And our continued launch of our latest shows design helps creators organize their videos into binge-worthy collections for the living room.
We’ve also updated how content gets discovered with contextual search on TVs. When a viewer initiates a search from a creator’s channel page, they will now see videos prioritized at the top of the results instead of getting lost in content from across all of YouTube.
From couch to cart
The living room is now a storefront, so we're creating a seamless path from the TV screen to checkout: viewers can now scan a shopping QR code to instantly open a product page on their phone. To make this experience even more powerful, we’re starting to test the ability to feature products at specific, timed moments within videos.
By removing extra steps and catching the viewer’s interest at the most relevant time, we're making it easier for viewers to act on their inspiration, helping creators drive conversions and grow their brands from the biggest screen in the home.
The TV screen is our fastest-growing surface, and we remain committed to delivering features that make creator content shine. That's the beauty of YouTube: film and upload once, and we'll ensure content looks great on any screen.
