YouTube Criticized for Mandating WNBA Viewership Among NFL and MLB Fans

Sports enthusiasts looking forward to Sunday Night Football and the MLB World Series through YouTube’s multiview stream were left dissatisfied upon discovering that they also had to watch the WNBA.

YouTubeTV’s multiview feature, which allows for a split-screen view, is intended to be a blessing for sports lovers wanting to follow multiple events simultaneously. However, on October 20, many users were perplexed by the limited viewing options available.

Fans of the NFL and MLB anticipated watching the Steelers matchup against the Jets alongside the World Series showdown between the Yankees and Dodgers, but those choices were not provided.

Instead, YouTube restricted users to viewing the MLB and NFL games only if the WNBA was part of the mix. Another alternative offered was to watch the World Series in conjunction with the WNBA Finals.

As the situation unfolded, social media erupted with users voicing their frustration over this limitation and questioning YouTube’s content restrictions.

“Can’t split screen Sunday Night Football & The NLCS without being forced to watch the WNBA. There’s no option to avoid it. This might explain their claimed ratings increase.” pic.twitter.com/TsorJHeuWM

— West Village Guy (@VillageWest14) October 21, 2024

“YouTube TV won’t allow me to view SNF and baseball simultaneously without including the WNBA Finals. We need modern solutions for modern issues,” commented another user, posting a picture that covered the WNBA section of their multiview display.

“YouTube TV won’t allow me to watch SNF and Baseball without including the WNBA finals. Modern problems require modern solutions.” pic.twitter.com/h68JDlAc8w

— Westley McCringleberry III (@WestleyMcIII) October 21, 2024

Another social media user humorously noted, “LMAO…. YouTube TV is mandating the inclusion of the WNBA in your multiview… and people are UPSET!” sharing a screenshot highlighting other discontented viewers.

“LMAO… YouTube TV is forcing the WNBA into your multiview options…and people are IRATE 😂😂” pic.twitter.com/ZoXbx2wxZp

— Premier Kicks and Collectibles (@premierkicks_2) October 21, 2024

Another viewer expressed, “YouTube TV is making me watch the WNBA if I want to enjoy the pennant race and SNF! I feel like I need to bleach my eyes! They’ve designed it to restrict my viewing choices to include the WNBA,” lamented another frustrated user.

In light of the pushback, YouTube responded by stating that the platform is currently only offering curated multiview streams but is working towards enhancing flexibility and introducing more choices in the future.

This is not the first incident causing dissatisfaction this October; earlier in the month, YouTube announced it was piloting a new version of “Premium Lite,”which still features ads despite raising the Premium subscription rates.

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