A decade ago, YouTube was among the few streaming services on the market. That's no longer the case now, with Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Go, Disney+, and other streaming services all battling for your attention (and money). What's worse is that sometimes you have to switch between multiple apps to find the right content to watch. YouTube wants to fix that with Primetime Channels. The feature will allow you to sign up for other streaming services directly through YouTube's Movies & TV storefront.
Primetime Channels is currently only available in the US. YouTube has managed to onboard 35 partners at launch, including Showtime, Starz, Paramount+, and Epix, with NBA League Pass joining soon. Every service you subscribe to will appear as any other YouTube channel in your feed. The homepage of Primetime Channels will highlight the latest trailers of movies and TV shows, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast interviews. YouTube will also surface videos from the streaming services in search results and recommendations.
In many ways, YouTube's approach is similar to Google TV, which lets you view content from various streaming services on your smart TV.
Erin Teague, the head of the Primetime Channels, confirmed to The Verge that content from studios wouldn't be given preference in search results or recommendations over videos from regular creators. And just like on regular YouTube videos, you can drop a comment and like or dislike a video. The neon green Watch Now button is the only way to distinguish a video from a Primetime Channels partner compared with a regular YouTube video.
YouTube's latest initiative is not unique, as Amazon and Apple already offer something similar. But YouTube has the scale for such integration to be successful—it is used by over two billion people every month. But the feature is a work in progress and has several issues that must be addressed to deliver a better user experience.
The biggest drawback right now is that if you have already subscribed to any streaming service that is a part of Primetime Channels, you cannot log into it through YouTube. You must cancel your existing subscription and then re-join via YouTube.