Instagram Brings Longer Videos to Apple TV in Youtube Push
WHO:
Fast Company - Adam Mosseri had worked at Facebook for 18 years before becoming Instagram chief in 2018.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram vice president of product Tessa Lyons said creators can link Reels to a full-length “Feature,” allowing viewers to continue watching a podcast clip or view the whole video.
The Hollywood Reporter - Early creators in the Features test include podcast host and SKIMS co-founder Emma Grede, beauty and fashion creator Monet McMichael, interviewer Preston Rakovsky, and football creator Donald De La Haye.
Variety - Meta’s Instagram is seeking to expand its appeal for watching and sharing longer-form entertainment from digital creators.
The Verge - Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and vice president of product Tessa Lyons discussed the longform video push.
The Verge - Mosseri also discussed the updates with creators Samir Chaudry and Colin Rosenblum.
The Verge - Instagram spokesperson Megan Buckley described the availability and testing of the new features.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram says its Features test includes deals with early creators, but the videos are not exclusive to Instagram; creators can retain existing ad placements and branded content, and Instagram will help creators without placements find deals.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram plans to expand its Features test to tens of thousands of creators in the U.S.
The Hollywood Reporter - Features videos will be recommended in Instagram’s Explore page and other areas.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram’s early Features deals are nonexclusive; creators may also bring existing ad placements and branded content to their videos.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram is working with creators who lack existing ad placements to find deals.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram has reached out to microdrama studios in Southeast Asia about its episodic-Reels Series feature.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram said it is working on “a few different deals” with early Features creators. Existing advertising deals can carry over, and Instagram will work with creators without existing placements to find deals.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram is testing “Series,” a home for episodic Reels on creators’ profiles, and has been testing how the feature will appear on TV.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram is testing the integration of live video into the Reels tab and showing live videos to people who do not follow the creators.
Fast Company - YouTube hosted more than 20 billion videos and had billions of logged-in monthly users, according to information shared with Fast Company.
Fast Company - Alphabet reported more than $60 billion in YouTube advertising and subscription revenue in 2025, nearly $15 billion more than Netflix’s revenue.
Fast Company - YouTube advertising generated more than $11 billion for Alphabet from April to June 2026, up 13% from the same period in 2025.
Fast Company - Instagram’s previous maximum video length for vertical Reels was 20 minutes.
Fast Company - Creators will be able to link up to eight Reels to a full-length video.
Fast Company - Features videos will be discoverable through links on short-form videos and Instagram’s Explore page.
Engadget - Instagram is experimenting with longform video again.
Variety - Instagram is testing video lengths of up to 90 minutes and enabling users to watch Reels and other content on Apple TV.
Variety - The article says Instagram is not going to pay creators for the videos.
The Verge - Instagram is making a push into longform horizontal video, which it calls “Features.”
The Verge - Instagram is testing features including clips that point to a longer video, a way for creators to make a “series” of Reels, and improvements to live-video discovery.
The Verge - Mosseri described a goal of making shortform and longform video “symbiotic,” citing formats such as podcasts and comedy specials that can exist as long videos and be broken into shorter ones.
The Verge - The TV app began as a Reels-focused experience and a pilot for Amazon Fire TV devices in the US; it later expanded to Google TVs, Samsung TVs, and Apple TV. Instagram also added the ability to watch Stories.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram’s live-video discovery test is launching in Indonesia and Brazil.
The Verge - The “Features” test is expanding to the US and is also being tested with some creators in Brazil.
The Verge - Instagram’s TV app pilot began on Amazon Fire TV devices in the US.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram said it plans to test its Series feature in additional countries in the coming months.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram plans to bring its Series test to the U.S. by the end of this year or early next year and expand testing to more countries in the coming months.
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram plans to expand its live-video discovery test to the U.S. next year.
Fast Company - Mosseri said Features would begin rolling out in a limited capacity “this month” and expand to “more and more people” over time.
The Verge - Instagram’s TV app launched late last year; the article says the ability to watch Stories was introduced earlier this year.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - The article says Netflix, Disney and other companies have been adding creator podcasts and videos to their platforms to capture more viewing hours and compete with YouTube.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lyons said Instagram sees an opportunity to help creators who do not yet have the business infrastructure and brand relationships to support their content.
Fast Company - Instagram said it is bringing together ways for people to share what they watch, watch together on big screens, and create in response to entertainment that inspires them.
Fast Company - Product vice president Tessa Lyons said creators tell stories in many formats, and Instagram is adding Features to meet how creators are telling stories.
Variety - Instagram’s moves are intended to position it as a stronger potential competitor to YouTube.
The Verge - Mosseri said one concern had been keeping Instagram focused not only on entertainment but also on connecting friends; longform videos could mean more viewing of content users might not send to friends, and fewer likes and shares.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Instagram’s Features test targets podcasters, comedians and other longform creators; the short-form Reels that can direct viewers to full videos are typically around three minutes or less.
Fast Company - Features will be available to view on mobile devices and Instagram for TV.
The Verge - Mosseri explained his concerns in a six-and-a-half-minute video with Lyons; the video included a widescreen version.
The Verge - Instagram is testing “Features” with a small group in the US and some creators in Brazil.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 13:19 UTC)
Instagram is pushing into long-form video with “Features,” which lets creators link Reels to full-length videos, with test videos of up to 90 minutes appearing on Explore and Instagram for TV. The nonexclusive test includes creators such as Emma Grede and Monet McMichael, and Instagram says creators can keep existing sponsorships while it helps others find advertising deals. The company is also testing episodic Reels and improved live-video discovery as it aims to make short and long videos work together and compete more strongly with YouTube.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 09:08 UTC)
Instagram is expanding its push into long-form video with a feature called Features, testing videos up to 90 minutes and planning to widen the U.S. test to tens of thousands of creators. Creators will be able to link as many as eight Reels to a full-length video, which can appear in Explore and on Instagram for TV, while early deals are nonexclusive and existing advertising arrangements can carry over. Instagram is also testing episodic Reels through Series and improving live-video discovery, aiming to connect short clips with longer entertainment such as podcasts and comedy specials.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 08:06 UTC)
Instagram is expanding into long-form video with “Features,” a test for horizontal videos that can run up to 90 minutes and be watched on phones or through Instagram’s TV app, including Apple TV. The company is testing episodic Reels, links from short clips to full-length videos, and improved live-video discovery, while working on advertising deals with early creators such as Emma Grede, Monet McMichael, Preston Rakovsky and Donald De La Haye; Instagram says it will not pay creators for the videos. The push aims to connect short and long videos and make Instagram a stronger destination for entertainment, with testing underway in the US and Brazil and a live-video discovery trial in Indonesia and Brazil.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:06 UTC)
Instagram is expanding into long-form video with a test of “Features,” horizontal videos up to 90 minutes, as it looks to compete more directly with YouTube. Creators will be able to connect up to eight Reels to a longer video, with content discoverable through those links and Instagram’s Explore page, and viewers will be able to watch on phones and Instagram’s TV app. The test is expanding in the US and includes some creators in Brazil, while Instagram is also exploring Reels series, improved live-video discovery, and ways to watch videos on Apple TV; creators will not be paid for the videos.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 20:05 UTC)
Instagram is testing “Features,” a push into longer-form horizontal video, with a small group in the US and some creators in Brazil, offering videos up to 90 minutes. Creators can link up to eight Reels to a full-length video, and viewers can discover the videos through links on short clips and Instagram’s Explore page, with viewing available on mobile and Instagram for TV. Instagram is also testing ways to organize Reels into series and improve live-video discovery, aiming to connect short and long videos while giving creators more ways to tell stories.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 19:21 UTC)
Instagram is testing a push into longer-form video, including horizontal videos called “Features” that can run up to 90 minutes, as it seeks to compete more directly with YouTube. The test is expanding to a small group in the US and some creators in Brazil, with features such as clips that link to longer videos, Reel series, and improved discovery of live videos; Instagram is not paying creators for these videos. The company is also expanding its TV app to Apple TV and other platforms, while Instagram chief Adam Mosseri says the goal is to make short and long videos work together without losing the app’s focus on connecting friends.