Substack will launch the TV program

Substack, a platform known primarily for newsletters, is launching a live TV app for Apple TV and Google TV. The company he announced Thursday that the beta program will allow subscribers to watch movies and TV shows created by creators on its platform.

The TV app features TikTok’s “For You” line that features videos from these creators, as well as official videos.

Free and paid subscribers can now start using the TV app, with the option to take part in their subscription. Substack plans to add paid previews to free subscribers in the future. The platform is also planning to add audio and read-aloud content, advanced search and automatic search, in-app upgrades to paid subscriptions, and dedicated sections for each publication where subscribers can search all videos from a particular creator.

The move comes as Substack has been investing heavily in video and advertising, as it looks to compete with platforms like YouTube and Patreon for both creators and viewers.

Substack started pushing into the video and setting up the videos back in 2022. Then it started allowing developers make money videos at the beginning of last year. At the same time, it he released the ability to release live for all publishers. The company has also embraced short video, introducing a TikTok as a video feed in his program in March 2025.

“Substack is the best home – developers put real care and subscribers choose to interact with them,” the company wrote in a press release. blog post. “Now these compelling movies and TV shows have a natural home on TV, where subscribers can tune in to watch great video again.”

While Substack sees the launch as the next step in its video game ambitions, comments on its announcements tell a different story. A top comment on the company’s blog says: “Please don’t do this. This is not YouTube. Upload the text.” Another popular comment reads: “You guys have gone from saying Substack is the best publishing house/long-form authors to ‘Substack is the best long-form publishing house…’.

Other comments echo the same sentiment, asking why the platform seems to be shifting from writing to video.

It is worth noting that Substack is not the only platform that pushes the living room, like Instagram He recently launched an IG for TVa new feature that allows users to watch Reels on TV, starting with Amazon Fire TV.