Instagram Targets YouTube

Instagram is launching a long-form video feature called Features, allowing clips of up to 90 minutes and offering top creators as much as $500,000 to shift from YouTube, as Meta seeks a larger share of television viewing time.

The initiative, announced by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, marks a direct bid for the living-room screen that YouTube has come to dominate. YouTube now accounts for 15.8 percent of U.S. TV viewing and generated $11.2 billion in advertising revenue in its most recent quarter, even as growth slowed to 9 percent. With roughly 3 billion monthly active users, Instagram is positioning Features as a natural extension of Reels, enabling longer click-through videos while leveraging Meta’s existing advertising infrastructure.

Adam Mosseri

“We want to be the most culturally relevant platform, and to do that we just need to show up where people are,” Mosseri said, reversing an earlier reluctance to pursue traditional TV-length content. The company is targeting existing Instagram creators rather than solely recruiting established YouTube talent, aiming to convert short-form personalities into long-form stars and place more of Meta’s sales muscle against what it views as premium television inventory.

Most analysts expect Features to erode some of YouTube’s lead in user-generated video on connected TVs. The move also intensifies pressure on advertising rates across the broader streaming market, where even Netflix has faced pricing challenges. LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield noted that “every hour Instagram wins on a TV is an hour not spent on Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock or what is left of the multichannel bundle.”

YouTube’s rise has already reshaped the competitive landscape, capturing substantial viewer attention and ad dollars once concentrated among traditional Hollywood studios and their streaming services. Instagram’s entry into longer-form video extends that shift further into professional and semi-professional content, raising questions about how established streaming platforms will defend both audience time and advertising share as user-generated options expand on the big screen.