YouTube set for major upgrade to make it more like Netflix and Prime Video

(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)

published 5 March 2025

Quick Summary

YouTube will reportedly launch a redesigned version of its Smart TV app in the coming months, with a new front page and more services.

It is claimed that it'll make paid streaming channels and other platforms a more overt part of the offering.

YouTube will reportedly go through a major overhaul soon, with the TV app in particular said to be getting a significant redesign.

The streaming service is therefore set to go head to head with the likes of Prime Video and Netflix, and it is claimed that plans are afoot to make it the all-in-one destination for viewing.

That's according to The Information, which says that a new YouTube app for Smart TVs is coming in the "next few months". It will look "more like Netflix, Disney+" and will include the option to add other streaming platforms as channels, much like Amazon Prime Video.

These paid-for services will be part of what YouTube already calls Primetime Channels, which are already available but currently on their own page and not particularly easy for viewers to find. It's said that they'll be moved to be front and centre of the new experience, along with YouTube's regular free videos, of course.

This all follows recent reports that the YouTube TV app has surpassed even mobile for video viewing in the US: "Viewers are watching, on average, over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs daily," the company said in mid-February.

How this will affect YouTube's usual, loyal content creators is yet to be seen. While viewers might enjoy having all their content in the one place, influencers might find the extra competition affects their own view counts, and therefore their revenue streams.

We guess we'll find out more in the coming months as the changes start to become more clear. Either way, it seems like YouTube could finally become a more essential destination for daily entertainment, not just funny cat videos and make-up tips.

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Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.