Instagram to shut down its IGTV section

Instagram is ending support for its independent long-form video app IGTV, and instead will focus on keeping all video on the main Instagram app, saying that this move is part of its efforts to make it as simple as possible to discover and create.

Instagram also announced that it will no longer support in-stream video ads, previously known as IGTV ads, as it shifts focus to Reels. Instagram introduced IGTV in 2018, allowing users to upload hour-long videos onto the platform. However, the service failed to take off among its users.

Later this year, Instagram said it will begin testing a new ad experience on its platform that will allow creators to earn revenue from ads displayed on their reels. The service currently has a Reels Play bonus programme that helps creators earn money based on the performance of their Reels.

Instagram said in a blogpost that it will continue to invest in simplifying its video formats over the coming months, making it easier to create and watch videos on the platform. The company said, “We are also working to create one, consistent way to share your videos, bringing together creation tools and offering new ways to discover content.”

Creators who are currently able to monetize their on-demand videos with in-stream ads will be automatically eligible to monetize with overlay ads. By mid-March, these tests will expand to creators in nearly all 53 countries where in-stream ads are available, including India.