Instagram is moving into streaming. The Meta-owned platform is challenging Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming services, armed with new features designed to keep you watching on your TV.
According to TechCrunch, Instagram is experimenting with longer-form videos, episodic series, and live creator experiences on its TV app. The social network is positioning itself as a destination for binge-watching creator content on large screens, the way users currently watch scripted dramas on traditional platforms.
Instagram launched its TV app last year. Now it is expanding: the app is rolling out to Samsung TVs in addition to Amazon Fire and Google TVs, with features designed for television viewing.
The new features include channels tailored to your interests, casting from your phone, horizontal video support, and native Stories playback on the TV app. The company is also testing a dedicated horizontal video section, which signals their plans for serialized, binge-worthy content.
This move follows Meta's testing of a "Series" feature for Reels on Instagram and Facebook, which allows viewers to follow serialized content more easily. The feature suggests that creators are beginning to produce episodes rather than individual clips.
Channels are central to the strategy. When you open the app, you see curated streams built around comedy, sports, or specific creators. It resembles the model used by TikTok and Netflix combined.
For creators already building audiences on Instagram, this expands their reach. For Netflix and Prime, it represents new competition. Instagram now functions as an entertainment platform with billions of existing users.
