Instagram is making a bigger play for the couch, and creators may need to start thinking beyond the phone screen. The platform is testing longer-form videos, episodic content, and live creator experiences for its TV app, a move that pushes Instagram TV deeper into the same attention lane as YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video.
According to TechCrunch, Instagram’s TV app is also rolling out to Samsung TVs after previously being available on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV. That matters because the living room changes the whole viewing game. A Reel on a phone is quick-hit content. A creator series on a television starts looking more like appointment viewing.
The update also brings channels, phone-to-TV casting, support for horizontal videos, and Stories inside the TV app. Instagram says users will see channels shaped around creators and topics they already like, including comedy, sports, and specific creator pages. That gives creators a new reason to package content with structure, not just chase one-off viral moments.
This follows Meta’s test of a “Series” feature for Reels, which lets select creators turn new or existing Reels into episodes grouped inside a dedicated hub on their profile. Meta told TechCrunch it is considering monetization options for that feature, though it has not shared details.
That is where things get interesting. If Instagram can make episodic viewing feel natural, creators could build repeat audiences the way podcasters, streamers, and YouTubers already do. Tutorials, reality-style updates, fitness challenges, cooking shows, scripted shorts, live events, and behind-the-scenes drops all become easier to organize and binge.
However, the shift also raises the bar. Horizontal video, longer runtimes, and TV-first viewing may reward creators who can produce cleaner visuals, tighter storytelling, and repeatable formats. The creator who only posts quick trends may still win the scroll, but the creator who builds a show could win the living room.
Instagram has tried long-form before with IGTV, but this version feels different because it connects Reels, Stories, live content, casting, and TV distribution under one bigger strategy. Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously said, “We’re exploring TV,” adding that TV has been important for YouTube and TikTok.
For creators, the message is clear: Instagram is no longer just asking who can stop the thumb. It is asking who can hold the room.
