Intagram May Launch Dedicated TV App as it Aims to Expand Focus on Video

Instagram is said to be “exploring” a dedicated TV app as part of its further investment into video. With a TV app, Instagram can target a new demographic who prefer to watch video content from their TV, while competing with the likes of YouTube.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri confirmed the news this week while attending the Bloomberg Screentime conference. “If behavior [and] the consumption of these platforms is moving to TV, then we need to move to TV, too,” Mosseri said. He went on to state that the company was “exploring” a TV app.

“We’d like to figure out how to make sure that we show up in a compelling way on all the relevant devices,” Mosseri told Bloomberg. The company’s chief added that Instagram had been looking into a dedicated TV app years prior. Mosseri is also reported to believe that vertical video content, like Instagram Reels, can prosper in a TV format. He also clarified that Instagram isn’t interested in licensing content like sports or original shows, or films.

Instagram originated as a photo-sharing app. Though, as time went on, the platform pivoted to focusing on video content. In 2020, Instagram began investing in video content in a serious way. As a means to compete with TikTok, Instagram Reels were introduced. Reels and other videos have become some of the most important content shared on the Meta-owned app. As of now, Instagram has over 3 billion monthly users.

Bringing Instagram to TVs, the company would be able to compete with YouTube, which has its own dedicated app as well. While YouTube’s TV app is commonly used to watch long-form content, whether it be a series, podcast, etc., it also supports YouTube Shorts. So, that proof-of-concept of short-form video working on a TV app has already been proven to some degree.

Mosseri told Bloomberg that the company wasn’t ready to make any official announcement on whether we can expect the arrival of an Instagram TV app.