Instagram just launched its 1st official campaign for Instagram TV.
Rumors of an Instagram CTV app started circulating back in June, then picked up pace when Adam Mosseri said Meta was actively exploring TV integrations.
The film introduces Instagram for TV by turning the scroll itself into the idea.
As Reels move upward, entire living rooms move with them.
They’re reframing Reels as something communal, closer to an IRL group chat which feels like a pretty accurate read on where culture is right now.
Reels are now one of Instagram’s most important engagement drivers. In Q2 2025 they accounted for 21% of all US ad impressions on Instagram, behind Stories and Feed.
This push signals where Instagram is looking for its next wave of growth.
𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺
→ Competition from TikTok and YouTube Shorts has intensified, and short-form video has historically been constrained by mobile-only viewing. YouTube addressed that by expanding Shorts onto TV. Instagram is now following that path, but in its own way.
→ Moving Reels beyond the phone opens up shared household attention and access to premium CTV budgets.
→ It positions Instagram closer to YouTube’s advantage as a true cross-device video platform.
𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀
→ Instagram for TV gives Reels more depth than the feed. Longer storytelling and formats that work for watching together rather than scrolling alone.
→ Short-form content can no longer be designed only for small screens. Framing, pacing, and storytelling that holds up on a TV matters now.
→ This opens up a bigger opportunity for brands to lean further into entertainment-first content. Episodic series, creator-led formats, and ideas that feel watchable in a shared setting, not just optimised for the scroll.
Instagram is great at reacting to competition and building similarly successful products, like Stories, Reels, and now Instagram for TV.