Instagram tests 90-minute videos as it expands on television
Instagram is testing a horizontal video format called “features”, allowing selected creators to post videos up to 90 minutes long. Meta hopes people will watch podcasts and other longer videos on television, helping Instagram compete with YouTube and attract more valuable advertising.
The test is limited to creators with individual deals with Meta, with comedians and podcasters among its targets. Instagram is adding an Apple TV app and expanding its TV apps to include Stories, live streams and linked video series; the company says longer videos could complement rather than replace Reels, after its earlier IGTV effort failed to gain traction.
In short
- Instagram is testing videos up to 90 minutes long.
- The format is initially limited to selected creators.
- Meta hopes longer videos will complement Reels and grow TV viewing.
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The case for
Longer videos could give creators more room for podcasts, interviews and other material that does not fit short clips, while letting viewers watch it on a television. If the format complements Reels and remains optional, it could broaden Instagram’s appeal, give creators another route to reach audiences and help Meta fund its services through advertising.
The case against
The move could pull Instagram further from the brief, social video that distinguishes it, while encouraging longer viewing and more competition for users’ attention. A test built around creators with individual Meta deals may also favour established partners, and the failure of IGTV suggests that adding long videos and television apps may not meet viewers’ needs or attract a lasting audience.
Explained simply
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing service owned by Meta, which also runs Facebook and WhatsApp. Its short, vertical Reels are designed for quick viewing, while YouTube has long been a destination for longer videos, including podcasts and creator-made programmes.
The move towards longer, horizontal videos reflects efforts by social platforms to reach people watching on televisions as well as phones. Comedians and podcasters are among the creators Instagram is seeking to attract, and the company has previously tried a separate long-video service, IGTV, which did not become widely popular.
The change matters because longer viewing could help Instagram compete for audiences and advertising with services such as YouTube. Meta says the new format is intended to sit alongside Reels, giving creators another way to reach viewers.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Instagram wants you to watch 90-minute videos on your TV”.