Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Reddit is testing out something that, if successful, could help it take on platforms like Twitch and YouTube — live-streaming. The company today announced its first broadcasting tool, which it’s calling the “Reddit Public Access Network.” The software will let eligible users live-stream to a new subreddit called r/pan.
Users who want to tune into broadcasts can do so directly from the subreddit, but top streams will appear on Reddit’s front page throughout the testing period, according to a blog post. Users will also be able to vote on their favorite stream, similar to Reddit’s upvote system, which will dictate what appears on the homepage.
Not everyone will be able to stream. The company is being “incredibly judicious with the rollout…