Social Rocket
YouTube is expanding its test of "Watch With" to more creators. Eligible mobile creators can use it during a live YouTube stream to start their own live reaction and have it played out together with the original video as a vertical stream.
This is more than a new reaction feature: YouTube deliberately separates monetization and attribution. The reacting creator can earn money from their own stream as usual. At the same time, concurrent viewers, public views and watch time of the reaction streams are credited to the original livestream.
How "Watch With" works in the current test
YouTube has described the expansion in its official test overview since 3 September 2026. Creators in the experiment group see a "React live" button in the share menu for suitable livestreams.
When started, the smartphone camera is activated for the reaction; viewers then see both the reacting creator and the source video in a combined vertical stream. The reaction stream can be watched on different devices.
Different rules apply to the two channels involved:
- The reaction creator monetizes their own livestream themselves.
- The source creator keeps the revenue from their original stream.
- According to YouTube, revenue from the reaction stream is not shared with the source creator.
- In return, concurrent viewers, public views and watch time from the reactions are credited to the original content.
Suitable streams allow such reactions by default. The original creator can disable "Watch With" in the mobile metadata before starting their livestream.
YouTube builds creator commentary into live rights
The idea has already been tested at major live events. For the NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, YouTube provided several "Watch With" streams with creators such as IShowSpeed. Accompanying creator reactions were also used at Coachella 2026 and a MrBeast livestream.
With this, YouTube is moving towards a model long familiar from sports, gaming and streaming communities: not every viewer wants to watch only the official feed. Some of the audience want to experience an event through the perspective of a particular creator.
The difference is that YouTube now organizes this second layer directly as a platform feature. Rights holders and source creators keep their metrics, while reaction creators can build their own monetizable broadcast.
Why attribution matters
For creators and media partners, the measurement logic could become decisive. If viewers were counted only with the reaction creator, a large network of co-streams could cannibalize the visible performance of the original stream.
YouTube is trying to avoid exactly that: using a "Watch With" stream is meant to strengthen the metrics of the source content too. For publishers, sports rights holders and event organizers, creator distribution can therefore be argued more easily as additional reach.
This fits YouTube's broader shift from the individual video channel towards a connected entertainment system on smartphones and televisions. How strongly the TV screen now features in the platform strategy is covered in our article on YouTube and Connected TV in Germany.
What creators should keep in mind
"Watch With" is currently still an experiment and not generally available for all channels. In its current test announcement, YouTube names no activation specific to Germany and no date for a full rollout.
Anyone who gains access should also not focus only on additional live viewers. YouTube recently changed how it counts public views; for monetization and some important analytics, other engagement signals remain relevant. We explain the differences in our overview of how YouTube has counted views since August 2026.
For brands, the feature also opens up new sponsorship formats. An official event can take place with several creator commentaries in parallel without each creator having to produce a separate video upload. This complements YouTube's already growing infrastructure for brand deals and commerce, including the new YouTube Shopping affiliate program in Germany.
Not yet open co-streaming for everything
Despite the name, "Watch With" should not be understood as a general permission to restream any livestream. The feature is only available for eligible streams within the YouTube experiment, and source creators can disable reactions.
That is precisely where the strategic value lies: YouTube is trying not to treat creator reactions as an external shadow market alongside the original event, but as a measurable and monetizable layer within the platform.