YouTube has launched two new features to make video networking and viewing far simpler – and much more like television.

The portal recently introduced two new tabs to its masthead: Shows and Subscriptions. (First into the U.S., with international to follow.) The Shows tab allows users to browse shows by genre, network, title and popularity, while Subscriptions gives logged-in users one-click access to new content from their favorite creators. Both tabs offer a more formalized viewing experience, making the portal that much more comparable to linear television. Add to this the recent announcement that YouTube has begun a wider rollout of in-stream advertising, and the comparison becomes even more pronounced.

A beta of YouTube RealTime is also now being tested with 100 users. RealTime is a ‘persistent toolbar’ that rests on the lower right-hand corner of the page, keeping you up to date on which friends are currently online, as well as what they are watching, favoriting and commenting on. It also provides a history of their recent activity on the site. Look for faster and higher spikes in viewership for popular content – something online advertisers will certainly favor.