Meta and TikTok Eye TV Streaming Service Launch

San Francisco, CA

Meta and TikTok, two leading social media platforms, are reportedly exploring television-streaming services as they seek to compete with established offerings like YouTube TV. The plans come amid rising customer churn in the streaming market due to increasing prices.

According to sources, both companies are developing apps designed for TV viewing. Meta’s service is expected to include Reels, but details on partnerships with broadcasters are still unconfirmed. In contrast, TikTok is reportedly focusing on producing high-quality videos for its app, having spent the last six months developing its strategy.

TikTok previously launched a TV app in 2021, but it did not generate significant attention and was removed earlier this year. At last week’s Cannes Lions festival, TikTok’s Global Head of Product Operations and Solutions, David Kaufman, expressed that entering the living room is a pivotal step for the platform, stating, ‘The living room is definitely a new frontier for us that we’re taking very seriously.’

The entry of Meta and TikTok into the streaming space is influenced by YouTube’s success, which currently has an estimated 9.4 million subscribers for its TV service. Analyst Minda Smiley from eMarketer noted, ‘These social networks are seeing how well YouTube has done in the living room… I’m surprised it took this long.’

While Meta and TikTok remain silent on their upcoming services, the competition is heating up in the streaming realm, with both companies poised to make their mark.