Instagram has announced plans to expand its platform into longer-form content, episodic series, and live TV experiences, marking a significant shift in its strategy to capture users' attention not just on their phones but also in their living rooms. The move comes as Instagram faces off against competitors like TikTok and YouTube, aiming to become a major player in the streaming services market.

The social network has been experimenting with new formats, including longer-form videos, content spanning multiple episodes, and live creator experiences. This follows news earlier this month that Meta is testing a new "Series" feature for Reels, designed to make it easier to keep up with serialized content on Instagram and Facebook.

What's Happening

Instagram's TV app is now available on Samsung Smart TVs across the United States, covering 2020 model year devices and newer. This expansion comes alongside several new features, including interest-based channels, phone-to-TV casting, and the ability to watch Stories on the big screen.

The company is also testing a dedicated section for horizontal videos within the TV app, an acknowledgement that content designed for phone screens does not always translate well to a 55-inch display. This move signals where Instagram's living room ambitions are actually headed.

Alongside these new formats, Instagram has announced plans to explore longer-form video formats for the TV app, including episodic series that unfold across multiple episodes and Live on TV. The company began reaching out to creators this week to start developing that episodic content, with Tessa Lyons, Instagram's VP of product, stating that short-form creators are well-positioned to make the jump.

Background and Context

Instagram has long been competing with TikTok and YouTube, but its ambitions now extend beyond capturing users' attention on their phones. The company is aiming to become a major player in the streaming services market, challenging established players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

The Samsung rollout covers smart TVs from the 2020 model year and newer, adding to Instagram's existing presence on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV devices. With this expansion, the app reaches the three largest connected TV platforms in the US market.

Meta told TechCrunch that it is considering ways to monetize the Series feature but did not share specifics. The company is also testing a dedicated home for horizontal videos within the TV app, an acknowledgement that content designed for phone screens does not always translate well to a 55-inch display.

Why It Matters

The strategic context is hard to miss. YouTube held a 13 percent share of all US TV watch time according to Nielsen's Media Distributor Gauge, the largest share since the metric began tracking in late 2023. YouTube's connected TV business is growing faster than any traditional streaming service, and every minute a viewer spends watching Reels on a television is a minute not spent on YouTube or Netflix.

TikTok is struggling with its own content quality problems, with a recent Kapwing study finding that nearly 60 percent of videos shown to new accounts are AI-generated junk. Instagram's push into the living room comes at a moment when its primary short-form competitor is facing credibility issues on the content side, potentially giving Instagram an edge in the market.

What Comes Next

The company is actively exploring ways to bring longer-form creator content, episodic series that unfold across multiple episodes, and Live on TV to its platform. The exact timeline for these new features is unclear, but it's likely that we'll see more developments in the coming months.

Instagram's push into the living room marks a significant shift in its strategy, one that could potentially disrupt the streaming services market. As the company continues to experiment with new formats and features, it will be interesting to see how users respond and whether Instagram can successfully challenge established players like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Key Facts

  • Instagram's TV app is now available on Samsung Smart TVs across the United States.
  • The company is exploring longer-form video formats for the TV app, including episodic series that unfold across multiple episodes and Live on TV.
  • Meta is testing a dedicated section for horizontal videos within the TV app.
  • Instagram's push into the living room comes at a moment when its primary short-form competitor, TikTok, is facing credibility issues on the content side.
  • The company began reaching out to creators this week to start developing episodic content.
  • Meta told TechCrunch that it is considering ways to monetize the Series feature but did not share specifics.