YouTube is pushing its live broadcast feature with a new system that let fans pay to pin their comments to the top of live-streams.
The tool, dubbed ‘Super Chat’, lets anyone watching a live-stream on YouTube buy a highlighted message that will make their post stand out, remaining at the top of the comments section within the live-stream for up to five hours.
In a blog post, the Google-owned platform said hinted that the feature could also help creators viewer engagement by “keeping their conversations and connections with (super) fans meaningful and lively.”
Users choose the amount they pay to pin their “Super Chat” message. The more they pay, the longer the comment will be pinned.
YouTube is already launching a beta with YouTube creators iHasCupquake (beauty, 5.2 million followers), Alex Wassabi (comedy, 2.2M) and Great Library (video games, 1.4M).
The new service rolls out more widely from Tuesday, January 31 for creators in 20 countries looking to monetize their activities.
“Super Chat” also replaces the existing “Fan Funding,” feature.
YouTube is also debuting an API that will allow developers to access real-time purchase data from the system. This API will replace the platform’s soon to be defunct Fan Funding system, which let viewers make voluntary payments to support creators directly.