Instagram is experimenting with longer videos, episodic content, and live formats in its TV app. Meta announced that as it expands Instagram for TV to Samsung TVs, it is also adding a feature to watch together on the living room screen.
Instagram for TV was previously closer to the experience of watching Reels on a large screen. This change is an attempt to go beyond short video feeds and create a viewing flow similar to streaming services. Instagram is preparing interest-based channels, the ability to send Reels and Stories from phones to TVs, and features for shared viewing experiences.
Experiments with episodic content and live streaming are also continuing. Earlier this month, Meta announced that it is testing a 'Series' feature on Instagram and Facebook that allows users to group Reels into series. Users can follow along with continuous content rather than individual short videos.
For users, this represents a shift in which Instagram expands beyond a mobile app into a TV viewing service. It allows for a transition from briefly swiping through Reels to an experience of watching extended content by specific creators or on various topics. For creators, it provides an opportunity to produce long videos, serials, and live content tailored for the TV screen.
This is also significant for Korean users, as Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, and TikTok are all competing for living room screens and long viewing times. It is an update that further blurs the boundaries between social media and streaming services.
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