YouTube is starting to test a “Top Fans” distribution option limited to the uppermost 1% of viewers

Platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans let creators distribute paywalled videos that can only be watched by their financial backers. Now, YouTube is testing a different approach to gated content: What if videos could only be watched by the fans who are most active within a creator's community? That's the gist of Top Fans, a new distribution option that is beginning to roll out on YouTube. By choosing to upload videos that can only be watched by 1% of their fans, creators can reward the viewers who show them the most loyalty. Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

Last updated May 22, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment