Elon Musk has his sights set on YouTube’s dominance of the long-form video space. The billionaire confirmed that X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, will soon allow users to watch videos directly on their smart TVs through a new dedicated app.
Responding to a post claiming smart TV viewing is coming to X, Musk simply stated “Coming soon” - giving a nod to reports that the X smart TV app could launch as early as next week for Samsung and Amazon’s TV platforms. The app is expected to have a very YouTube-esque look and feel as X takes aim at luring some of YouTube’s billion-plus users over to its own long-form video experience.
This smart TV offensive is the next evolution of X’s growing video ambitions under Musk’s leadership. The platform has increasingly prioritized video content across its mobile app and website over the past year, with videos natively uploaded to X now prominently featured on users’ timelines, the Explore page, and curated “Moments” sections.
But X’s big-screen TV push represents a boldly aggressive new frontier in Musk’s grand vision of turning the platform into an all-encompassing “Everything App.” By bringing longer videos into living rooms on the biggest screen in the house, X can solidify itself as a true one-stop-shop for content consumption, communication, payments, job listings, and whatever else Musk dreams up next.
Of course, dethroning the YouTube video juggernaut that’s over a decade in the making will be no easy feat. YouTube’s platform is deeply entrenched globally and increasingly integrated into smart TV operating systems by default. X will have to overcome that incumbency advantage with superior content, product experience, and features if it hopes to lure viewers away.
Still, if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s to never count Musk out when he sets his competitive sights on an industry. His bravado, resources, and unconventional strategies have repeatedly upended sector after sector, from automotive to aerospace to communications. Online video could very well be next.
X’s smart TV app may start off scrappily with Musk noting that AirPlay and web workarounds are options in the meantime. But with Hollywood creators and influencers already flocking to X, a clever content packaging and promotion strategy could quickly turn the app into a video powerhouse alongside the always-scrolling Twitter text feed.
YouTube has owned the long-form video space for years. But Elon Musk is coming for that crown with X’s imminent smart TV offensive. The battle for the biggest screens in our homes - and a major chunk of the future of video viewing - is about to begin. Perhaps we’ll soon see “X Shorts” debut to take on YouTube’s TikTok competitor, too. Nothing seems off-limits for Musk’s video ambitions.