Instagram eyes the living room with bigger TV push and new creator formats

Instagram is expanding its ambitions beyond the smartphone screen, testing new TV-focused content formats and viewing experiences as it looks to carve out a bigger role in the connected TV landscape.

The platform is introducing a series of new features for Instagram for TV, including interest-based content channels, the ability to cast Reels from mobile devices to televisions, Stories on the big screen and support for horizontal video.

The updates signal a broader shift in how Instagram is positioning itself, moving beyond short-form mobile viewing towards more communal, lean-back entertainment experiences traditionally associated with streaming platforms.

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Instagram said it is also exploring a range of new formats designed specifically for television audiences, including longer-form creator content, episodic series and live broadcasts on TV.

The company believes these formats could help creators tell deeper stories and build stronger audience connections, while opening up new viewing behaviours beyond the platform's traditional scroll-based experience.

The introduction of horizontal video is particularly notable, given Instagram's long-standing focus on vertical-first content. The change suggests the platform is adapting its creative ecosystem to suit larger screens and television viewing habits.

The latest developments also raise questions around the future of advertising and monetisation on the platform's TV offering.

While Instagram has not announced any new advertising products tied to its TV experience, the expansion into connected TV could eventually create new opportunities for brands seeking to reach audiences in premium, shared-viewing environments. The move would place Instagram in closer competition with streaming services, YouTube and other connected TV platforms increasingly competing for advertising budgets.

According to Instagram, users have increasingly been treating the TV app as a shared experience, with friends and family watching content together, exchanging recommendations and passing the remote around the room. Many of the new features have been designed around these behaviours.

The expansion remains limited for now. Instagram for TV is launching on Samsung Smart TVs in the US, adding to its existing availability on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV devices. Samsung support covers 2020 model-year televisions and newer.

The move comes as Instagram continues to experiment with new ways for users to engage with content. In May, the platform rolled out Instants, an ephemeral photo-sharing feature and standalone app designed around spontaneous, unedited moments shared among friends.

While Instants leans into private and casual interactions, Instagram's latest TV push signals its ambitions at the other end of the spectrum, bringing creator content, live experiences and longer-form viewing into the living room.

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