"The repeated stress on length, care, thought, choosing to spend one's time, and extended viewing are all noticeable - likely an attempt to establish brand continuity as well as a differentiated, big-screen value proposition akin to the Great Courses TV app. At the same time, that language is unlikely to appease the refugees from video who joined Substack in its earlier, text-heavy incarnations."
"In practice, however, Substack's move onto TV screens just formalizes something that's been happening anyway. Over the past two years, Substack has steadily pushed into video - first with livestreams, then with more polished interview shows, readings, and daily news programs hosted by former cable fixtures. The TV app doesn't create a new product, but it does give that programming a place on the largest screens in homes."
Substack is launching a TV app to bring video and livestream programming to big screens, positioning longform and thought-provoking video for extended viewing. The shift formalizes two years of video expansion that included livestreams, interview shows, readings, and daily news programs hosted by former cable figures. The TV presence increases expectations for production value, content volume, and audience scale, benefits that tend to favor creators with established followings and resources. The platform emphasizes length, care, and subscriber choice while also highlighting celebrity contributors, moving closer to mainstream media competition for attention.
Read at Quartz
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