Substack, a platform best known for newsletters, is launching a TV app for Apple TV and Google TV. The company announced on Thursday that the beta app will allow subscribers to watch video posts and livestreams on their television, content created by authors on its platform.
The TV app includes a TikTok-like “For You” row that highlights videos from creators along with other recommended content. Both free and paid subscribers can start using the TV app now, with access levels based on their subscription tier. Substack plans to introduce paid content previews for free subscribers in the future. The platform also intends to add audio posts and read-alouds, enhanced search and discovery features, in-app upgrades to paid subscriptions, and dedicated sections for each publication where subscribers can explore all videos from a specific creator.
This move follows Substack’s increased investment in video and livestreaming, as it aims to compete with platforms like YouTube and Patreon for creators and viewers. Substack began its push into video with the launch of video posts back in 2022. It started allowing creators to monetize videos early last year and around the same time rolled out livestreaming capabilities to all publishers. The company has also embraced short-form video, launching a TikTok-like video feed in its app in March 2025.
In a blog post, the company stated, “Substack is the home for the best long-form work creators put real care into and subscribers choose to spend time with. Now these thought-provoking videos and livestreams have a natural home on the TV, where subscribers can settle in for the extended viewing that great video deserves.”
While Substack sees the launch as the next step in its video ambitions, comments on its announcement tell another story. The top comment on the company’s blog post reads, “Please don’t do this. This is not YouTube. Elevate the written word.” Another popular comment states, “You guys have gone from saying Substack is the best home for longform writing and writers to ‘Substack is the home for the best longform work.’ I get trying to evolve, but this just seems like another venture capital-fueled idea.” Other comments reflect a similar sentiment, questioning why the platform appears to be shifting its focus from writing to video.
It is worth noting that Substack is not the only platform pushing into the living room. Instagram recently launched IG for TV, a new experience that lets users watch Reels on television, starting with Amazon Fire TV.