YouTube announced this week that it will now hold back ads during livestreams if chat engagement is at its peak, and if users show support with Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gift purchases. Until now, the only way to avoid seeing ads was by paying for a YouTube Premium subscription.
The Google-owned platform said in a blog post that when a chat explodes with energy, it wants to “protect that collective vibe.” When YouTube’s system recognizes that engagement is high, the platform will automatically hold back ads for everyone.
The idea behind this change is to help creators maintain momentum for viewers without interruptions from ads, the company says.
On the other hand, when a fan shows support with a Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gifts, they will be rewarded right away with a personal ad-free window right after their purchase. For context, Super Chat allows viewers to pay to highlight their messages, while Super Stickers are images that users can purchase to make their messages stand out in chats.
YouTube announced these changes alongside other updates for live creators. The company shared that more creators around the world are now eligible to receive gifts from viewers, as gifts are now live in Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.
Additionally, viewers can now send GIFs on creators’ horizontal livestreams, not just vertical ones, directly from their mobile devices.
YouTube also announced that creators can now go live in both vertical and horizontal formats at the same time, with all viewers being able to connect in a single shared chat. The company says over 30% of live watch time in the U.S. came from connected TVs in 2025, which is why it wants creators to be able to customize their stream for all sorts of screens.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026
The move comes a few days after YouTube raised subscription prices for YouTube Premium in the U.S. The YouTube Premium individual plan is increasing from $13.99 to $15.99 per month, while the family plan is going from $22.99 to $26.99 per month.
[ad_2]
Source link
More on youtube livestreams will now hold back
Stay tuned for updates on youtube livestreams will now hold back as the story develops. Related: Instagram Is Coming to a Big Screen Near You: Your Samsung TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
YouTube will now automatically hold back ads during livestreams when chat engagement is at its peak, and when a viewer shows support with Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gifts, they get a personal ad-free window right after their purchase.
The fan is rewarded right away with a personal ad-free window after their purchase. Super Chat lets viewers pay to highlight messages, while Super Stickers are images purchased to make messages stand out.
Gifts are now live in Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. Viewers can send GIFs on horizontal livestreams from mobile devices, and creators can go live in vertical and horizontal formats simultaneously with one shared chat.
The U.S. individual plan increased from $13.99 to $15.99 per month, while the family plan went from $22.99 to $26.99 per month.
