I used to think of YouTube Shorts as strictly a phone-in-hand, thumb-scrolling thing, something that is meant to be viewed on a tall screen, not something you’d curl up on the couch for.
YouTube just proved me wrong. It is rolling out Shorts Series that turn those vertical clips into full seasons and episodes. It’s also rolling out voice commenting and Community Posts built for your TV screen.
So what exactly is a Shorts Series?
Building on YouTube’s Creator Shows format, Shorts Series let creators organize clips into a chronological collection of episodes, even grouping them as seasons, instead of one endless feed. The season structure makes them easier to follow, I’d say.
It also adds features like custom thumbnails and sequential playback so you can pick up where you left off, heavily inspired by OTT platforms. Short Series rolls out today across web, mobile, and TV.
Creators like Kinigra Deon and GOKKO CLUB are already uploading episodic Shorts, and the timing makes sense. Per YouTube, microdramas pulled over 6.5 billion views in just the first half of the year.
What else is changing for TV viewers?
I never thought I’d say this, but you can now leave voice comments from YouTube on your TV, using voice input via the remote. No more grabbing your phone to react to something a creator said.
Community Posts are also expanding to TV in the coming months. Posts are also starting to show up in the Shorts feed on web and mobile, reaching viewers in more places without them having to look for it (though I’m not sure whether people are actually looking for them).
YouTube has been the top streaming platform by watch time for three straight years, per Nielsen, and more than half of its top 100 creators are now watched more on TV than anywhere else.
