Meta on Wednesday announced that it is bringing Reels, Instagram’s short-form video feed, beyond mobile as it expands the app to TVs, starting with Amazon Fire TV.
For years, Instagram Reels have been limited to smartphones. That’s now changing with a new app launching on TVs, particularly Amazon’s Fire TV devices. This is the first time Instagram content has been designed for the big screen.
The Instagram TV app for Fire TV mirrors the mobile experience, displaying portrait Reels with black side bars on the screen. Users can scroll through content organised into interest-based channels such as music, sports, travel, and trending topics.
The app also gives users the ability to log into the app to search for creators and explore profiles, as well as like Reels, read comments and leave reactions.
Be it Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, they are fastest-growing content format. (Image credit: Amazon)
Stiff competition with YouTube
One may wonder why Meta has brought Instagram Reels to the big screen when the short-form video feed is designed primarily for smartphones. Perhaps the biggest threat to Reels is the growing popularity of YouTube, which has exploded in recent years. Users log into YouTube not only to watch long-form content from a wide range of creators but also to consume Shorts, videos under a minute long that were designed with TikTok in mind.
Statistics show that YouTube has become both the most-watched streaming service and the most popular podcast platform. In fact, Google-owned YouTube has been ranked as the most popular streaming service on US televisions, surpassing traditional cable TV networks. No wonder the platform now attracts more viewers on TVs than Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video. This itself shows how the internet has continued to reshape television and viewing habits.
Since 2022, YouTube has also offered Shorts on the big screen through its updated TV apps.
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YouTube has become the most-watched video provider on televisions in the US. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Can I access Instagram Reels on my TV in India?
For now, the app is debuting in the U.S., and only on Amazon’s Fire TV devices. If you’re in the U.S., you can download the Instagram for TV app from the Amazon Appstore. However, note that the app is compatible only with the Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st and 2nd generation), Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, and Fire TV Omni QLED Series.
There is no information yet on when Instagram Reels for TV will arrive in India, but it is expected to launch in the country eventually. India is an important market for both Meta and Amazon, with the country having the highest number of Instagram users in the range of 480 million. Amazon, meanwhile, has recently been focusing heavily on popularising its Fire TV sticks in the country. It is almost certain that Instagram will expand the app to other devices and look beyond Amazon Fire TVs to better compete with YouTube.
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