Max just stole a major sports feature from YouTube TV — here's what's coming

Max on a TV screen with a bowl of popcorn

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Max is our favorite streaming service. It's got tons going for it, including a surprising amount of live sports thanks to the Bleacher Report Sports add-on. But now, Max is taking a page out of YouTube TV's book, because it's adding multiview ... sort of.

Starting with the NASCAR race Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray this Sunday (Feb. 2), Max is introducing a pair of multiview options to its TNT Sports coverage. This feature, known as NASCAR Driver Cam, is exclusive to Max and gives you access to two pre-set multiview options. Each option features four drivers, and these drivers are chosen based on the most compelling matchups and storylines each week.

NASCAR Drive Cam Multiview on Max — (Image credit: Max)

This is a bit different from how multiview works on YouTube TV. On that cable alternative, you get to curate your own multiview of up to four available channels, and it goes beyond sports. This version of the feature is more in line with what Apple offers for MLS Season Pass, which is limited to games from a single sport.

Analysis: Multiview is now a required feature

With Max now adding multiview, many of the streaming services and cable TV alternatives have offered or currently offer some form of the sports-watching feature. As I already mentioned, YouTube TV and Apple TV currently offer it, and Peacock offered it during the 2024 Summer Olympics. Even Prime Video is rumored to be adding a version of multiview now that it's on track to air NFL, NBA and WNBA games for the foreseeable future.

That means that offering multiview is now a requirement for streaming services, live TV streaming services and traditional cable/satellite providers. It's no longer a "nice to have" and I imagine most of these companies are now working on a version of the feature if they haven't been already. The most interesting ones to see get the feature next would be ESPN Plus, DirecTV MySports and Fubo given that they're offerings that are largely or entirely dedicated to sports fans, so I'll be keeping an eye out to see where Multiview is coming next.

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Malcolm McMillan is a Streaming Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.