Instagram offers creator payments to expand long-form video push

Traders Union
All News
Business & Wealth
Companies
Instagram creator payments for video

Highlights

Instagram offers select creators payments between $50,000 and $500,000 to publish long-form horizontal videos up to 90 minutes on its new Features product.
Meta confirms confidential deals to fund Features content, aiming to revive IGTV-like long-form video and challenge YouTube's dominance in the segment.
Instagram's deals do not require exclusivity, allowing simultaneous YouTube posting, while Meta explores scalable monetization models for long-form creators.

Creator deals back Features rollout

As first reported by Business Insider, Instagram is offering a select group of creators direct payments to publish long-form videos on Features, a new product inside the app that supports horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes. The report says some creators are being offered about $50,000, while others are receiving six-figure agreements that in some cases reach $500,000.

Meta confirms that it is funding Features content with some creators, though it does not disclose financial terms. A company spokesperson says the deals are confidential and adds that Meta is supporting creators as content begins to go live.

The effort accompanies a broader overhaul of Instagram's video strategy announced on Monday. Features effectively revives IGTV, the long-form product Instagram launched in 2018 and shut down in 2022, as the platform tries again to build a destination for longer viewing inside its app.

Competition with YouTube shapes monetization debate

The campaign reflects Instagram's attempt to challenge YouTube, which remains the dominant platform for sit-down, long-form video and benefits from its established Partner Program. Several people familiar with the agreements say the new Instagram deals do not require exclusivity, and one person says creators are being asked to post on Instagram the same day they publish long-form videos on YouTube.

For creators, the immediate attraction is not only upfront cash but also the prospect of algorithmic promotion. Reza Izad, a partner at Underscore Talent, says new app features often give creators added visibility because platforms tend to favor that content in distribution, especially in categories that are not yet crowded.

Instagram has used financial incentives before to influence creator behavior. Meta paid some creators last year to post short-form videos to Instagram and Facebook, and it previously tested bonus programs tied to Reels performance. In 2021, while IGTV was still active, Instagram also funded long-form episodic projects and briefly offered some creators a share of advertising revenue.

The larger question for the creator economy remains whether Instagram can build a scalable monetization model beyond one-off deals. Instagram head Adam Mosseri says on X that the company understands the importance of economics and is exploring multiple ways to help long-form creators get paid.

In our earlier coverage of executive remuneration at South Africa’s JSE Top 200 companies, we noted that variable pay has been rising much faster than fixed salaries, with short- and long-term incentives driving the sharpest increases for CEOs and CFOs. We also highlighted how new Companies Act requirements from May 2026 increase transparency through pay-ratio disclosures and introduce binding shareholder votes that can restrict directors’ roles on remuneration committees.

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.