Instagram challenges Netflix with long-form content and live TV

The living room as a new digital battleground

Instagram is no longer content with feeds and Stories. According to reports from TechCrunch on June 22, 2026 , the platform is building a precise ambition: bringing its content to the home television. The declared target is Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. This is a move that redesigns the boundaries of social media advertising.

In fact, the living room has been the most contested territory in the digital ecosystem for years. Streaming platforms have gotten users used to long sessions, complex storylines, and high-production-value content. Instagram enters this space with a built-in advantage: an already active creator base and a mature advertising system.

Therefore, the signal for marketers is clear. This is not an experimental feature. It is a strategic positioning statement that will have concrete effects on budgets and creative formats in the coming quarters.

What concretely changes in Instagram's TV app

The three pillars of the new positioning can be precisely identified. First of all, the long-form content : videos longer than traditional Instagram formats, designed for relaxed and uninterrupted viewing. Secondly, the episodic formats , i.e., structured series with narrative continuity between episodes. Finally, the live broadcasts optimized for the big screen.

These three elements, combined, change the nature of the medium. Instagram stops being a quick-consumption platform and becomes a complex editorial environment. Consequently, content production logic must evolve.

Plus, hooking it up with the Meta ecosystem keeps things smooth across devices. You can start watching an episode on your phone and finish it on your TV. This cross-device journey is exactly what brands want to get more eyes on their ads for longer.

The immediate impact on advertising strategies

For those who manage digital marketing campaigns , the most relevant change concerns the ad format. Pre-rolls and mid-rolls on long-form content have very different attention metrics compared to banners in feeds. According to research by McKinsey on the future of marketing , connected TV generates significantly higher ad completion rates than standard mobile.

However, this doesn't mean it's enough to transfer existing materials to a new channel. TV formats require specific creative adaptations. An effective ad on Instagram Stories doesn't necessarily work on a 55-inch lean-back screen.

Therefore, the teams of digital marketing they will need to plan dedicated productions. This implies higher creative budgets, but also richer storytelling opportunities. Companies that invest in quality content for this format today will have a measurable competitive advantage.

Brand partnerships and creator economy: the emerging model

Episodic content opens up a specific scenario for brand partnerships . Similar to what happens with Netflix branded productions or sponsored podcasts, creators on Instagram TV will be able to develop series with narrative brand integration. This is a qualitatively different advertising model from a sponsored post.

Specifically, for Italian SMEs, this is a chance to access premium formats at lower costs compared to traditional TV. A fashion, food, or furniture brand can team up with an episodic series by a top creator in their niche. The result is prolonged exposure and a spot-on editorial context.

We at SHM Studio we are closely following the evolution of the Italian creator economy. The strategies of LinkedIn campaigns and google ads campaigns remain fundamental, but the landscape is expanding. Therefore, integrating Instagram TV into the 2026-2027 media plan is a choice worth careful consideration.

The comparison with Netflix: where Instagram is stronger

It would be a mistake to read this move as a symmetrical challenge to Netflix. The two platforms have different business models and user bases. However, there are areas where Instagram has an advantage.

First of all, the cost of content acquisition . Netflix invests billions in original productions. Instagram can count on millions of creators already active, willing to produce content in exchange for monetization and visibility. The model is more distributed and less capital-intensive.

Furthermore, the social component remains a differentiator. Watching an episode on Instagram TV and commenting on it in real-time with your followers is an experience that Netflix doesn't offer natively. This synchronous engagement element is particularly relevant for live events and interactive formats.

Conversely, Netflix maintains the advantage in average production quality and catalog depth. As highlighted by Harvard Business Review in the analysis of streaming wars , the perceived quality of the content remains the main driver of retention on premium platforms.

What to do now: operational priorities for marketing managers

The official launch of the Instagram TV app does not yet have a definitive date for the Italian market. However, marketing managers who want to be ready can act on three fronts starting today.

• Audit of the existing video catalog. Check which of the brand's video content can be adapted to long-form or episodic formats. Often there is underutilized material that can be reorganized into thematic series.
• Mapping of relevant creators. Identify creators in your industry who are already experimenting with long-form formats on Instagram. Start exploratory conversations before partnership prices increase with demand.
• H2 2026 media plan review. Reserve a portion of the experimental budget for testing on Instagram TV as soon as the format becomes available. Data collected in the first few weeks will have high strategic value.

To delve deeper into how to structure a content strategy consistent with these scenarios, the team at strategic copywriting and of AI applied to marketing at SHM Studio is available for an initial consultation. The contact form is the starting point.

The long view: where this trajectory leads in 2027-2028

Instagram's move isn't one-off. It fits into a bigger trend of social platforms turning into media companies. TikTok already went down this road with long videos. YouTube has been a social-streaming hybrid for years. So, Instagram TV is just the next puzzle piece in a bigger plan.

According to the analyses of Gartner on the future of digital marketing , by 2028 the share of advertising budgets allocated to connected TV and long-form social video will surpass that of linear television in many European markets. Italy is following this curve with a 12-18 month lag compared to Anglo-Saxon markets.

Consequently, 2026 and 2027 are the years when the most attentive Italian marketers will build skills and relationships that will pay off in 2028. Waiting for the market to mature means paying higher prices for less advantageous positions.

For those who want to deepen the overall digital positioning of their company, the sections dedicated to web services , to the SEO and to the SHM Studio blog offer an updated operational framework. The ongoing change requires an integrated vision, not isolated tactical interventions.