YouTube is pursuing live sports rights with a distinct strategy focused on acquiring games in bulk that offer clear consumer propositions, according to people familiar with the matter. The platform wants packages like all local games or complete tournament coverage rather than scattered individual matches. The company is considering putting select games on its free, ad-supported service whilst placing most behind the YouTube Premium paywall at $15.99 monthly. This would use free games as marketing to drive Premium subscriptions. YouTube is in advanced talks to become the NBA's regional sports network solution for 20 to 25 teams, potentially exceeding $1 billion, according to Sports Business Journal. However, YouTube is still evaluating whether to proceed if it cannot secure all teams' rights, ideally wanting both in-market and out-of-market games. The strategy contrasts with Netflix's approach of acquiring individual games or tournaments as standalone events.

LTK and YouTube have launched AI tools to streamline affiliate commerce, helping shoppers find products, brands discover creators, and creators monetise content. US affiliate marketing spend is expected to reach $13.81 billion this year, up 11.3%, according to eMarketer. LTK introduced a conversational search feature that increased product click-outs by 84% since rolling out earlier this month. The platform also unveiled an agentic tool for marketers to build campaigns and Auto-draft, which helps creators turn photos into posts via Siri. YouTube demoed shopping in its Ask YouTube feature, allowing viewers to purchase products through creator affiliate links. It will also automatically localise tagged products for international viewers. LTK faces competition from ShopMy, which raised $70 million last year at a $1.5 billion valuation, and newer entrant Phia.

YouTube has introduced new AI-powered creator tools to help improve video performance. The Ask Studio feature provides personalised feedback on draft videos, suggesting alternative titles and thumbnails based on channel analytics and user comments. From 2027, creators can A/B test three different cuts of Shorts. A Dynamic Thumbnails feature lets YouTube automatically select which thumbnail to show viewers. The platform will also auto-tag products using AI to support affiliate programmes, with Amazon's affiliate programme expanding beyond the US. YouTube is piloting real-time auto-dubbing for live videos and launching "live showdown" features for co-hosted streams. Platform data shows over half of top creators see most views on household TVs. Microdrama content has surpassed 6.5 billion views, with watch time increasing 50% year-over-year.