With connected TV (CTV) usage on the rise, YouTube has provided some new tips to help creators adjust to consuming CTV content and ensure they look their best on the bigger screen.

And it’s worth considering.

Earlier this year, YouTube reported that it was Users now watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content on their televisions every day YouTube Shorts views on connected TVs increased more than 100% year over year.

Even more, Nielsen reported that YouTube was the top streaming platform by watch time in 2023.

So, yes, a lot of YouTube content is consumed on TVs. And that also offers broader scope for your content and YouTube advertising.

To maximize this, YouTube has provided five tips:

• Use your analytics to track TV viewing behavior – YouTube says channel managers can track their audience TV engagement behavior in YouTube Analytics. “Go to “Advanced Mode” on your computer and filter by “Device Type” to see your TV’s watch time and views. You can even track the number of new TV subscribers you’ve found while browsing your channel page, watching your long-form videos, or scrolling through your Shorts content.”

• Create for higher quality playback – YouTube notes that many TVs are now 4K compatible, and creators should keep this in mind in their process: “Uploading in 4K ensures your content looks its best. Good lighting while filming and consistent color grading during editing can help create a sleek, professional look that will captivate your viewers.”
• View your thumbnails – YouTube says thumbnails are “oversized” on TV screens. Therefore, it is important to ensure they are high quality and high resolution to maximize impact.
• Episodic content works best – YouTube says episodic content that keeps viewers coming back can be a great way to maximize returning CTV viewers: “If you really want to captivate your television audience, try building your channel around familiar frameworks, recurring themes or popular characters.”
• Optimize your channel page – Finally, YouTube also points out that the channel pages are also displayed enlarged on the big screen. Therefore, it is important to optimize the visual display to achieve maximum impact. “Choose a clean design that is easily visible from a distance and upload a high-resolution image (2560 x 1440 pixels, maximum 6 MB).”

These are some practical pointers to help your YouTube channel and content stand out on the bigger screen.

And again, more and more people are consuming YouTube on their television. Therefore, it is worth considering how you can use this to improve performance.

YouTube’s full CTV tips can be found here.