YouTube is expanding its test of “Watch With,” a live reaction feature that allows eligible creators to broadcast their reactions alongside another creator’s livestream.
The feature, which was first piloted around YouTube’s sports coverage in 2024, is now being tested with more creators using mobile devices. The move gives creators a way to add live commentary and reactions while keeping the original livestream at the centre of the viewing experience.
How YouTube’s ‘Watch With’ feature works
Creators included in the experiment can find a “React live” button in the Share panel when watching an eligible livestream on a mobile device.
Once selected, the creator can begin a separate livestream that combines their camera feed with the original broadcast. YouTube automatically locks the phone camera into a horizontal orientation for the reaction and does not allow the camera to be turned off during the broadcast.
Although the reacting creator records in a horizontal format, YouTube says viewers will see the combined content as a vertical stream regardless of the device they use to watch it.
The feature therefore allows a creator to react to another livestream without having to produce a completely separate piece of content around the original broadcast.
Reaction creators can earn from their own broadcasts
YouTube’s monetization system also applies to the reaction livestream.
Creators participating in the reaction can earn revenue from their own broadcasts under YouTube’s standard monetization rules. However, the original livestream creator does not receive a portion of the revenue generated by the reaction broadcast.
The original streamer continues to earn from their own livestream as usual.
At the same time, YouTube attributes concurrent viewership, public views and watch time generated through reaction streams back to the original content. This means the reaction broadcasts can contribute viewing activity to the source livestream without directly sharing the reaction revenue with its creator.
Original creators can turn reactions off
Livestreams eligible for the experiment are opted in to allow reactions by default.
Creators who do not want other eligible channels to react to their livestreams can change a mobile metadata setting before going live. The option can be changed from “Allow eligible channels” to “No one.”
This gives original streamers control over whether their content can be used in the “Watch With” reaction format.
YouTube continues to add more live-streaming tools
The expansion of “Watch With” comes alongside several other live-focused features that YouTube has been testing, including livestream leaderboards, 24/7 livestream stations and expanded livestream gifting.
YouTube previously said that more than 30% of daily logged-in viewers watched live content on average during the second quarter of 2025.
The platform is also seeing growth in live viewing. A Q2 2026 report from Streamlabs and Hatchet found that YouTube Live’s watch hours increased 18% year over year to nearly 13 billion. Its share of total livestreaming watch time reached 60.3%, while Twitch and Facebook Gaming recorded declines during the period.
Against that backdrop, features such as “Watch With” could keep reaction and commentary activity within YouTube instead of sending viewers and creators to other platforms for those conversations.
YouTube has not confirmed a wider rollout
For now, “Watch With” remains an experiment. YouTube has not disclosed the specific eligibility requirements for creators taking part in the test.
The company has also not confirmed when the feature will become available to a wider group of creators, or whether it will eventually receive a broader rollout.
For creators who are included in the experiment, however, the addition of live reactions creates a new way to participate in another creator’s livestream while maintaining their own broadcast and monetization.
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