YouTube has made relatively few significant updates to its Premium subscription since its inception, aside from the introduction of a new tier known as “Premium Lite.” Nevertheless, the platform is actively seeking improvements, particularly with a new feature aimed at enhancing the livestream experience. The company is currently developing a leaderboard feature for livestreams that highlights top participants based on various engagement metrics. This approach is commonly seen in gaming, education, and fitness apps, and YouTube aims to bring it to its community of livestream viewers.
According to an announcement on their support website, YouTube is in the testing phase of this leaderboard functionality. For dedicated livestream fans, this new feature presents a chance to earn points by actively participating in a creator’s livestreams. Viewers can tap on a crown icon in the chat section to access the leaderboard, which will display the top 50 participants based on their point tally. However, it remains unclear exactly which types of engagement will be recognized and rewarded with these points.
Those who rank highest on the leaderboard will receive a badge that appears next to their name during the livestream. This recognition isn’t limited to just the top tier; the second and third highest-ranking viewers will also have badges. It’s important to note that engaging in a livestream doesn’t automatically mean viewers are consenting to have their names publicly displayed on the leaderboard. YouTube has yet to clarify whether the feature will be enabled by default.
There will, however, be an option for users to disable leaderboard participation through their account settings on both mobile and desktop platforms. This precaution addresses ongoing concerns about user preferences on the platform, similar to issues regarding the visibility of Shorts content. Currently, Google is testing the leaderboard with a limited number of users, meaning its availability is restricted and may not accurately reflect the platform’s top viewers. Moreover, there is no confirmed timeline for when, or if, this feature will be rolled out more broadly.
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