YouTube will suppress ads during livestreams when chat engagement is high or viewers purchase Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gifts, aiming to preserve momentum and viewer experience. Buyers of these features get immediate ad-free windows. The update also expands gift availability to Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand, adds GIF support for horizontal livestreams, and enables simultaneous vertical/horizontal streams with shared chat.
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YouTube livestreams will now hold back ads during peak engagement to protect the vibe
YouTube trades ad frequency for viewer retention in livestreams, suppressing ads during peak engagement moments to reward paid monetization features like Super Chat and gifts.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: TechCrunchBY sys://pipeline
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