Elon Musk announces X's plan to launch long-form video for smart TVs

Billionaire Elon Musk revealed that long-form videos will soon be accessible on smart televisions through the social network X. The announcement follows reports from Fortune magazine detailing X's imminent launch of a TV app for Amazon and Samsung users.

X initially introduced video and audio calling capabilities to select users last October, aligning with Musk's vision to transform the platform into a super app offering a range of services from messaging to peer-to-peer payments.

Responding to a user's post about the platform's long-form video accessibility on smart TVs, Musk confirmed the upcoming feature with a concise "Coming soon" message on X.

Fortune magazine speculated that the X TV app might resemble Google's YouTube TV app and cited an anonymous source suggesting Musk's intention to compete directly with YouTube.

X has yet to provide additional details about the TV app, despite Reuters' request for comment.

In its pursuit of becoming a "video-first platform," X has forged partnerships with prominent figures such as former Fox commentator Tucker Carlson and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

Despite facing challenges in retaining advertisers since Musk's acquisition in 2022, X announced last month its plan to enable advertisers to run video ads alongside specific content creators.

The introduction of long-form videos on smart TVs marks a significant expansion of X's capabilities and underscores Musk's ongoing efforts to diversify and enhance the platform's offerings.

(With Reuters inputs)