IGTV is back, in a new form, with Instagram testing out a new TV app, which is focused on facilitating Reels watch parties on the bigger screen.
As you can see in this example, Instagram’s new TV app is similar in format to YouTube’s CTV UI, with a layout that’s designed to be easy to navigate via more limited TV remote functions.
And Reels are the star of the show, with Instagram looking to capitalize on communal viewing.
As per IG:
“We’ve heard from our community that watching reels together is more fun, and this test is designed to learn which features make that experience work best on TV. Reels are grouped into channels that match your interests, including new music, sports highlights, hidden travel gems, trending moments, and more.”
So, again, Reels is the showcase item here, with Instagram hoping to see similar success to what YouTube has with Shorts in its CTV app.
YouTube has previously reported that its users now watch more than a billion hours of YouTube content on their home TV sets every day, while views of Shorts on TV grew by 100% over the past year. According to Nielsen, YouTube is now the top streaming platform by watch time in the U.S., with almost as much watch time as both Netflix and Disney+ combined.
Within that, Instagram also sees opportunity, and this new TV app will ideally see the platform parlay the popularity of Reels into a new viewing format, in order to grab the attention of more viewers.
Whether that rings true or not remains to be seen. YouTube offers a wide range of content via its CTV app, with podcasts also seeing significant growth in CTV consumption. YouTube also offers movies, and links to other streaming services. So YouTube clearly has a larger and more viable offering on this front, and it’ll be interesting to see if IG can compete with only Reels as the key offering.
But then again, TikTok also has a TV app, and X is trying to make its TV app happen as well, so it’s another area of opportunity, which may or may not be a major winner, but being in the race for attention in another space is a benefit.
So, welcome back IGTV. I mean, it’s not the same as IGTV, the ill-fated long-form video app that Instagram released back in 2018. But it’s a similar concept, with Instagram looking, once again, to capitalize on shifting viewing habits.
Instagram TV viewers can pair the app with their IG account, and add up to five accounts in one home, or create a new account just for TV viewing.
The app is available in the U.S. on Amazon Fire TV devices, and will be expanded to more devices and countries over time.
