Instagram expands TV app as it courts longer viewing
Instagram’s TV app is adding Stories, horizontal video and planned episodic shows as the platform pushes beyond phone-first scrolling.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Instagram is adding more viewing options to its smart TV app, extending a phone-first service further onto living-room screens, according to Instagram and The Verge. The changes matter because they put the Meta-owned platform more directly in the path of YouTube-style viewing and the fast-growing market for short episodic video.
The Verge reported that Instagram for TV now includes disappearing Stories and horizontal videos, in addition to vertical Reels. The app is available on Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung Smart TVs, according to The Verge.
Instagram said community feedback led to the new features. The company also said it will add a bigger push around longform episodic programming and TV-oriented live creator experiences, according to The Verge.
One new option lets users cast Reels from a phone to a television, Instagram said. The company is also adding dedicated channels meant to help viewers find videos suitable for groups watching together, though The Verge noted that those recommendations are still based on individual user interests.
The expansion shifts Instagram into a viewing format that differs from the way many people use the app on phones. The Verge reported that Instagram has reached 3 billion monthly users, a scale tied in part to the ease of opening the app throughout the day on a mobile device.
Instagram’s TV effort also reflects a broader contest for attention with video services, according to The Verge. YouTube has long been a major destination for TV viewing, while microdrama apps have gained traction with short serialized shows that often require users to pay by episode or through subscriptions.
Deadline reported that Omdia estimated microdrama revenue would reach $14 billion by the end of the year. The Verge reported that Instagram could be well positioned to compete in that format because it already has a large user base and a network of creators.
Instagram is also testing a dedicated area for widescreen content, according to The Verge. That test suggests the company sees horizontal video as more central to a TV app than phone-native formats such as Stories, which were designed around vertical screens and touch controls.
Instagram product vice president Tessa Lyons told The Hollywood Reporter that the company views short videos as an entry point for creators to build longer, more serialized projects. Lyons also told the outlet that Instagram noticed creators using the app to market work hosted elsewhere, which helped drive the TV app’s new focus on longer content.
The challenge for Instagram is whether creators will make shows that hold up on a television rather than repurposing clips built for phones, according to The Verge. YouTube remains a different kind of service, with a broad catalog that includes short clips, essays, music videos and feature-length films, The Verge reported.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.