What’s happened? Instagram could soon take over your TV screen. At the Bloomberg Screentime Conference, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri revealed that the platform is planning a dedicated TV app as part of Meta’s deeper push into video content.
- Instagram’s TV app would bring vertical videos like Reels to television, letting users scroll and stream from the comfort of their couch.
- Mosseri said that if viewers are shifting to watching social content on TVs, then Instagram wants to “show up in a compelling way on all relevant devices.” He also wished that they’d started this years ago
- However, don’t expect Netflix-style exclusives, though, because Instagram isn’t planning to buy the rights to sports or Hollywood shows. The focus will most likely remain on user-generated videos
This is important because: A TV app could be exactly what Instagram needs to compete with YouTube and TikTok, right in your living room.
- YouTube has long dominated in television space, so Instagram’s entry could finally shake that monopoly.
- Video is the photo: With 3 billion monthly users, Instagram’s evolution from a photo app to a video platform is shaping up quite nicely.
- Instagram Reels are already at the front and centre; they’ve even redesigned the iPad app to open straight into Reels.
Why does it matter?
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If Instagram’s TV app experiment works, the line between social media and traditional television could blur even further.
- You may soon find yourself flipping between YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram just like channels.
- For creators, this means a whole new set of screens to conquer, with higher video quality and a bigger audience.
- For Meta, this could be a way to lock in users for longer, turning short-form videos into binge-worthy content.
- But Instagram still has to figure out a way to make vertical videos look good on widescreen.
