The news: YouTube wants Shorts to help it encroach further on traditional TV.

• The Google-owned company announced during an event Wednesday a new feature that will encourage creator-made, episodic “Shorts series.”
• The feature allows creators in YouTube’s Partner Program to format their Shorts into episodes and seasons, creating serialized narratives across mobile, web, and TV devices.
• Creators will have access to sequential playback functionality and custom thumbnails for shows.

Zooming out: The feature builds on YouTube’s efforts to become the new TV.

• YouTube debuted creator-led “Stations” in April, a feature that provides 24/7 access to linear-style channels.
• The company built on that offer at Upfronts when it pitched creator-led, TV-style series helmed by influencers like Trevor Noah and Alex Cooper.
• YouTube followed that announcement up in August when it rolled out a feature allowing over 3 million creators in its Partner Program to package existing playlists as TV-style shows. Creators have the option to designate playlists built around consistent themes and storylines as a “show” in YouTube Studio, which creates a landing page and allows for videos to be organized into seasons.

What it means: YouTube is extending the Shorts experience into a more TV-like format as it builds on its position in connected TV (CTV).

• Short-form YouTube content already has an audience on TV: 54% of 13- to 24-year-olds and 63% of 25- to 34-year-olds say watching short video clips on YouTube using a TV is just as enjoyable as watching longer shows and movies, per Hub Entertainment Research.
• YouTube already generates the most CTV ad revenues across services, per our forecast, above Amazon, Roku, and Hulu—giving Shorts a large TV-based ecosystem to expand into.