YouTube has introduced a new feature that allows livestream viewers to collectively prevent advertisements from playing by boosting engagement in the live chat.
The platform's new system identifies moments of peak activity within the chat to protect the 'collective vibe' of a broadcast. When engagement reaches a specific threshold, YouTube automatically holds back ads for the entire community.
This update arrives as a response to growing user frustration over increasingly intrusive advertising. Recent platform changes included unskippable ads lasting up to 30 seconds, alongside a recent price hike for YouTube Premium to $15.99 per month.
New tools for creators and viewers
Beyond the engagement-based ad suppression, YouTube is expanding its monetization and streaming capabilities. The company is rolling out new 'Gifts' features to several new regions, including Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.
Streamers can now broadcast in both vertical and horizontal formats simultaneously, using a single unified chat for all viewers. The platform is also implementing a personal ad-free window for users who donate via Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gifts.
This specific feature ensures that a creator's acknowledgment of a donor is not interrupted by a commercial break. YouTube stated that the ad-suppression feature works specifically when automatic ads are enabled on the stream.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan stated the updates are designed to "improve the experience and help creators make more money."
While the feature offers a reprieve from commercials, it relies entirely on active participation from the audience. The effectiveness of this tool for maintaining long-term ad-free momentum during broadcasts remains to be determined by user behavior.
