The Big Sip
Image: The Verge
Instagram is pursuing TV screens because Reels dominate user time but generate less than 10% of ad revenue. Meta needs the higher-value advertising that living rooms provide.
Adam Mosseri announced on 9 October 2025 at Bloomberg Screentime that Instagram is exploring a dedicated TV app, calling the delay a "mistake."
Connected TV ads command $15–65 CPMs with 90% completion rates, compared to mobile's sub-$10 rates. YouTube already captured 13.4% of all US TV viewing by July 2025 while earning $54 billion in 2024.
Will Instagram price TV inventory above or below YouTube's rates when it launches?
This will reveal whether Instagram prioritizes market share through lower prices or attempts to command premium rates for user-generated content on TV screens.
[Analysis] YouTube holds the top TV share in the U.S., setting the bar Instagram must clear. TV Tech
Instagram spent a decade training users to hold phones vertically, then realized the real money's in screens you can't hold at all.