YouTube’s “React live” lets creators react to livestreams in real time and earn
YouTube widened its Watch With test on Sept 8, then said at Made on YouTube it will cover more long videos. Original creators get view credit and can opt out.
The tea in 3
- YouTube widened its Watch With test with a "React live" button in the mobile Share panel, per Social Media Today.
- Reactors earn from their own stream. Reaction revenue isn't shared, but views and watch time are credited to the original, MediaPost reports.
- YouTube says "React live" will extend to all eligible long-form videos, with a rollout starting later this year.
YouTube is testing a way to react to someone’s livestream live, inside the app, and get paid for it. Social Media Today reported on Sept 8 that YouTube is expanding its Watch With test to more creators, adding a “React live” button in the Share panel when you view eligible streams on mobile.
How it works
- On mobile, a creator in the test opens an eligible livestream and taps Share.
- They tap “React live,” which starts their own broadcast alongside the original content.
- Viewers on any device see the creator’s camera and the source video combined into one vertical stream.
Per YouTube’s announcement, the phone camera automatically locks in a horizontal orientation, and the creator can’t turn the camera off during the reaction.
Who gets paid
Creators can earn revenue from the reactions in their stream as they normally would, according to Social Media Today. MediaPost quotes YouTube’s announcement: “Revenue from reactions is not shared, however, the concurrent viewership metrics, public views, and watch time from all the reactions will be attributed back to your content.” The source creator keeps earning from their own stream, and can allow reactions or opt out.
Reaction content is huge on YouTube and Twitch, and it has long raised the question of who gets the money. This is YouTube building the feature natively so the original creator is counted, though not paid from the reaction.
What we don’t know
None of the reports name which creators are in the test or how many there are. YouTube describes it as an “experiment group,” so not everyone sees the button yet.
Where it fits
Watch With was first announced in 2024 and initially tried alongside YouTube’s NFL coverage. The article places it next to other live features YouTube is testing: livestream leaderboards, 24/7 livestream stations and livestream gifts. YouTube reported in September 2025 that more than 30% of daily logged-in viewers, on average, watched live content in the app.
What happens next
At its Made on YouTube event, YouTube said it is “expanding Watch With beyond livestreams to include all eligible long form videos across YouTube, with a roll out starting later this year.” In the same post, YouTube said reacting creators keep the live ad revenue and fan funding they earn, while original creators get “clear attribution, added view credit in YouTube Studio, and full control over which of their videos can be reacted to.”
Why reaction streamers are watching
If you watch reaction channels, this could change where they broadcast from. Watch With builds the pairing into the app and credits views back to the original. Whether the original creators see that as fair, since reaction revenue isn’t shared with them, is the open question.
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