They tested that when logged in with an account without YouTube premium, locking the screen paused playback and caused the playback notification to disappear. The notification didn’t disappear with an YouTube Premium subscription (althrough playback still paused). This was a few days ago, before this confirmation.
See this article for an analysis.
They tested that when logged in with an account without YouTube premium, locking the screen paused playback and caused the playback notification to disappear. The notification didn’t disappear with an YouTube Premium subscription (althrough playback still paused). This was a few days ago, before this confirmation.
Then it seems like a strategic move alongside locking higher playback speeds behind premium as well.
UI and player control on payed tiers when it makes no technical difference to them as a delivery platform.