Instagram explores dedicated TV app to challenge YouTube

Instagram is strategically developing a dedicated TV app to expand its video content reach and compete with YouTube's dominance in the living room entertainment market. The move, confirmed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in October 2025, reflects Meta Platforms' intent to adapt to evolving user behaviors favoring video consumption on larger screens. While still exploratory, Instagram’s TV app aims to bring its popular short-form video format, Reels, alongside Stories and IGTV, to smart TVs by Q2 2026, making video viewing immersive and tailored for living rooms.voice.lapaas+3​

This strategic push is part of Meta's broader $10 billion investment in video infrastructure. Instagram plans to leverage its vast user base—now at 3 billion monthly active users—and the explosive growth of Reels, which reportedly generate over 200 billion daily views, to capture a significant share of the $100 billion social media video market. The app is expected to launch across major smart TV platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Tizen, with a focus on Gen Z and millennials, targeting 500 million TV users by 2028 and aiming to generate $2 billion in revenue through advertising and sponsored content.teleprompter+3​

YouTube currently dominates TV-based video streaming, holding over 12% of U.S. TV viewing share per Nielsen reports, surpassing traditional networks and streaming services. Particularly notable is YouTube's ability to attract diverse age groups, with significant engagement from viewers over 50 alongside younger demographics, and its integration of both long-form content and Shorts on TV platforms. Instagram’s planned TV app is designed to deliver vertical video formats effectively on larger screens, without aiming to license exclusive live sports or Hollywood shows but banking on social and interactive video features to differentiate itself.hollywoodreporter+3​

By extending Instagram’s video ecosystem to televisions, Meta looks to broaden user engagement beyond mobile devices, capitalizing on shifting consumption patterns and reinforcing competition with YouTube and TikTok in the short-form video arena. Instagram’s AI-driven content recommendation system will support this endeavor, ensuring personalized and compelling content delivery on TV screens that enhance social interactivity, such as comments and polls, enriching the living room viewing experience.thestar+3​

In summary, Instagram’s TV app initiative represents a significant strategic move within Meta’s video growth framework, poised to meet the rising demand for accessible, engaging video content on television while challenging YouTube’s entrenched presence with a new social video experience tailored for living rooms.iphoneincanada+4​