Instagram's Living Room Gambit: The Long-Form Pivot to Capture High-Value Ad Spend
AI-generated image · US National Wire
Meta is reviving long-form video with 90-minute 'features' and expanded TV app support in a strategic move to challenge YouTube's dominance in the lean-back experience.
Instagram is making a calculated play for the living room, signaling a shift in strategy that prioritizes long-form content over the quick-hit nature of Reels. As Engadget first reported, Meta is experimenting with a new horizontal video format dubbed "features," which allows for clips lasting up to 90 minutes.
From a monetization perspective, this is a transparent attempt to capture the more lucrative ad deals associated with long-form media. Engadget reports that Meta is specifically targeting podcasters and comedians for this push, and the company told The Hollywood Reporter that it intends to help creators secure brand partners if they lack existing advertiser relationships.
***Opinion:*** *This pivot is less about creative expression and more about the money. By moving into the horizontal, long-form space, Instagram is attempting to dismantle YouTube's monopoly on the high-CPM, lean-back viewing experience. Meta is betting that by capturing the TV screen, they can unlock premium ad inventory that short-form vertical clips simply cannot command.*
To facilitate this, Instagram is aggressively expanding its hardware footprint. Engadget notes that the company launched a Fire TV app last year and is now adding an Apple TV app to a lineup that already includes Google TV and Samsung devices. These apps are being expanded to support live streams, Stories, and a new "series" feature that allows creators to link related short-form videos into episodic content.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri acknowledged the inherent risk in this strategy, stating in a video that he worried long-form content could cannibalize engagement with the short-form videos users currently consume. However, Mosseri suggested the relationship could be "symbiotic," where short Reels act as a funnel, driving viewers to watch full episodes on their televisions.
This is not Meta's first attempt at this playbook. Engadget recalls the launch of IGTV in 2018, a dedicated long-form app that failed to gain significant traction and was subsequently shut down in 2022. While the previous attempt failed, Mosseri indicated that Meta remains "very committed" to the long-term success of this format, even admitting it will likely "take some time to get right."