Substack launches a TV app

Substack, a level known chiefly for newsletters, is launching a TV app for Apple TV and Google TV. The institution announced connected Thursday that the beta app volition let subscribers to ticker video posts and livestreams connected TV created by authors connected its platform.

The TV app features a TikTok-like “For You” enactment that volition item videos from these creators, on with recommended videos.

Free and paid subscribers tin present commencement utilizing the TV app, with entree based connected their subscription tier. Substack plans to adhd paid contented previews for escaped subscribers successful the future. The level besides plans to adhd audio posts and read-alouds, enhanced hunt and find features, in-app upgrades to paid subscriptions, and dedicated sections for each work wherever subscribers tin research each videos from a circumstantial creator.

The determination comes arsenic Substack has been investing much heavy successful video and livestreaming, arsenic it looks to vie with platforms similar YouTube and Patreon for some creators and viewers.

Substack began its propulsion into video with the motorboat of video posts backmost successful 2022. It past started allowing creators to monetize videos aboriginal past year. Around the aforesaid time, it rolled retired livestreaming capabilities to each publishers. The institution has besides embraced short-form video, launching a TikTok-like video feed successful its app successful March 2025.

“Substack is the location for the champion long-form—work creators enactment existent attraction into and subscribers take to walk clip with,” the institution wrote successful a blog post. “Now these thought-provoking videos and livestreams person a earthy location connected the TV, wherever subscribers tin settee successful for the extended viewing that large video deserves.”

While Substack sees the motorboat arsenic the adjacent measurement successful its video ambitions, comments connected its announcement archer different story. The apical remark connected the company’s blog station reads: “Please don’t bash this. This is not YouTube. Elevate the written word.” Another fashionable remark reads: “You guys person gone from saying Substack is the champion location for longform writing/writers to ‘Substack is the location for the champion longform—work…’. I get trying to evolve, but this conscionable seems similar different task capital-fueled idea.”

Other comments bespeak a akin sentiment, questioning wherefore the level appears to beryllium shifting its absorption from penning to video.

It’s worthy noting that Substack isn’t the lone level pushing into the surviving room, arsenic Instagram recently launched IG for TV, a caller acquisition that lets users ticker Reels connected TV, starting with Amazon Fire TV.