Summary
- YouTube is testing a new leaderboard feature for livestreams that rewards viewers with points for engagement.
- Top-ranking viewers on the leaderboard will receive a badge next to their name in the livestream chat.
- Users will have the option to opt out of participating in the leaderboard through YouTube Settings.
We love to debate over whether a YouTube Premium subscription is worth it or not, and while some defend it, others feel it isn’t something worth investing money in. And then some want to see changes to the premium subscription offering to continue paying for it.
YouTube hasn’t made many significant changes to its Premium subscription ever since the service was launched, except for introducing a new subscription tier called “Premium Lite.” However, the company is hard at work to improve the platform as a whole. Google’s latest YouTube efforts come in the form of a new feature that specifically targets livestream viewers.
YouTube is working on a new leaderboard feature for livestreams
A leaderboard shows top participants, which can be based on various metrics depending on the type of platform. This is more common in gaming and educational platforms, and fitness apps. Now, YouTube wants to introduce the same concept to its platform. On its support website, the company has announced that it’s testing a new leaderboard feature for YouTube livestreams (via Android Authority).
If you’re a livestream superfan, the new leaderboard on YouTube opens up the opportunity for you to earn points by engaging on a creator’s livestreams. The chat section of the livestream will show a crown icon, tapping which will open the leaderboard, where you’ll see the top 50 viewers with the most points. However, YouTube hasn’t specified what type of engagement will earn viewers points.
If you manage to top the leaderboard with the most points, you’ll get a badge, and it’ll appear next to your name on the livestream. Not just you, but the second- and third-highest-ranking viewers will see a badge right next to their names.
However, engaging with a creator’s livestreams doesn’t automatically mean that users are willing to give their consent to show their names publicly. It is unclear whether it’ll be enabled by default, but even if it is, you’ll be able to select “Turn off leaderboard participation” from YouTube Settings. This option will be available for both mobile and desktop users. This is why it doesn’t add to existing issues on YouTube, where users’ choices aren’t respected, as in the case of not allowing them to hide Shorts content.
Google is currently testing this leaderboard functionality with a small group of viewers, so there is very little chance that you’ll see it right now. Due to its limited availability, the leaderboard feature won’t accurately tell YouTube creators who their top viewers are. Unfortunately, Google hasn’t shared any specific timelines as to when, or if, it will be generally available.
