Instagram expands long-form video push to keep creators and ad revenue on-platform

Traders Union
All News
Business & Wealth
Companies
Instagram expands long-form video

Highlights

Instagram is testing 90-minute video uploads and expanding its 'Instagram for TV' app to Samsung, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, and Apple TV to boost long-form viewing.
New tools like 'Features' for horizontal video and 'Series' for organizing episodic content aim to keep creators and audiences engaged on-platform amid YouTube competition.
Monetization remains limited as Instagram considers pre-roll and mid-roll ads for revenue-sharing, while lacking features like picture-in-picture and automated transcripts.

Video overhaul targets longer viewing

As first reported by Business Insider, Instagram unveiled a set of new video tools on Monday aimed at making longer viewing more seamless on its platform. The changes include a horizontal video test called "Features," support for videos as long as 90 minutes for a limited number of creators in the U.S. and Brazil, and closer links between short clips and full-length content.

Instagram is also expanding its "Instagram for TV" app across services including Samsung, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Apple TV. The company is adding a feed that lets viewers watch content their friends are liking or resharing on television screens, as it responds to YouTube's growing traction in TV viewing.

Another tool under testing, "Series," is designed to help Instagram-native shows organize recurring episodes more clearly in the main feed. Eligible creators can group videos into ordered series, while the test is expanding to more countries through the end of the year.

Monetization remains a key gap

Adam Mosseri, Instagram's top executive, says the company wants the platform to remain "culturally relevant" by showing up where audiences already are, including in longer-form and TV-based viewing. That strategy reflects demand for Instagram-native programming that begins as short-form content but later extends to longer cuts on platforms such as YouTube and Tubi.

Instagram's push also highlights a business issue, because sending viewers elsewhere for extended episodes can mean lost ad revenue and weaker user engagement. Creators can now link as many as eight clips to one long video, but the platform still lacks some features common on rival services, including picture-in-picture playback and automated transcripts or subtitles, although a Meta spokesperson says those features are planned.

Mosseri says Instagram is considering tests of pre-roll and mid-roll ads that could eventually support revenue-sharing with creators. He also says earlier efforts to build broad monetization programs similar to YouTube's Partner Program were not financially beneficial for Instagram, and that the company will need to find a model that at least breaks even as it invests again in long-form video.

Our earlier article on AI agents highlighted findings from a KPMG U.S. CEO survey showing many large companies are seeing efficiency and growth gains, even though only a small share view AI agents as transformational so far. It also underscored that adoption is driving continued investment in AI infrastructure plus hiring and retraining, as organizations work through the harder task of redesigning processes and governance around increasingly autonomous tools.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.