Instagram Expands TV App With Long-Form Videos, Episodic Series and Live Content

Instagram is exploring several new content formats as it looks to expand its presence on television screens. The social media platform, which introduced its TV app last year, says it plans to experiment with longer-form videos, episodic programming, and Live TV experiences.

The company revealed that it is evaluating ways to bring extended video content, multi-episode series, and live creator broadcasts to its TV app. The announcement comes shortly after Meta began testing a new “Series” feature for Reels on Instagram and Facebook, making it easier for users to follow ongoing episodic content.

While Instagram has traditionally competed with platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the company now appears to be targeting streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as it seeks to increase viewing time on television screens and mobile devices.

Instagram also announced that its TV app is now rolling out to Samsung smart TVs The application was already available on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV devices.

The TV app is also receiving several new features, including dedicated channels, phone-to-TV casting, and support for horizontal video playback and Stories.

When users launch the app, they will be presented with personalised channels based on the creators and topics they follow. According to Instagram, these curated channels are designed to make it easier for households to discover content they can enjoy together, whether it is comedy, sports, or videos from favourite creators.

The company is also testing a dedicated section for horizontal videos, making long-form content easier to watch on larger screens. The feature is expected to play an important role in Instagram’s broader ambitions for living room entertainment.

In addition, users can now cast Reels and content saved in their Saved tab directly from their smartphones to their television. The TV app is also expanding beyond Reels by adding support for viewing other users’ Stories, a feature that was previously unavailable on the platform.