Elon Musk aims to compete with YouTube through a video plan for smart TVs
“Long-form videos will be soon available on smart televisions”, said the billionaire Elon Musk. He is planning to encourage viewers to watch long videos on the bigger screen.
Musk confirmed plans for X, formerly Twitter to enter a streaming space with a dedicated TV app for Amazon and Samsung smart TVs. According to news agency Reuters, X has rolled out an early version of audio and video calling some users last October.
Coming soon https://t.co/JlnlSL7eS9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2024
This move by X in October was initialized after Musk said he planned to turn the platform to super app offering services from messaging to peer-to-peer payments.
When the user posted on X whether the long videos could be watched directly on smart TVs, Musk briefly responded – “Coming Soon”. He further posted – “We just want people to be able to watch long videos in comfort of their big screen TV”
As per Fortune magazine the app will look similar to Google’s YouTube. Beyond smart TVs, X is also exploring video games, podcasts and long-form writing. On Friday, X introduced ‘Articles’, a new way to share long-form written content on the platform.
An unidentified source stated that Musk is gearing up to compete with YouTube and challenge Google with this. YouTube videos were most watched in streaming platforms in the US in 2023. X did not respond to Reuters request for further details on the app.
To become a video-first platform, X has been forging partnerships with the likes of former Fox Commentator Tucker Carlson and former CNN anchor Don Lemon. Ever since Elon Musk bought X in 2022, the platform has struggled to retain advertisers because of controversies.
