Elon Musk’s X plans to launch an app “identical” to YouTube’s TV service for smart TVs as early as next week, according to reports.
Musk’s goal is to get users to watch “long videos on a big screen.” Musk said it’s part of the billionaire’s larger effort to make X an “everything app.” luckThis was reported citing an anonymous source.
“He intends to compete with YouTube,” a source told Fortune, adding that X’s upcoming video app will initially be exclusive to Amazon and Samsung smart TVs.
As part of Musk’s efforts to introduce long-form content to the site, he also recruited popular YouTuber Mr. Beast to post videos on X, recently disgraced former CNN It has signed a deal with anchor Don Lemon, who will debut a new show exclusively on X. March 18th.
MrBeast (official name Jimmy Donaldson) posted a 20-minute feature on the social media platform showing how creators can profit financially from X, similar to YouTube.
A week after Donaldson posted a video of himself test-driving a $250 million-plus car, he has amassed nearly 160 million views and more than 5 million engagements, including likes and comments. (including interactions), and showed off a staggering $263,655 in revenue. commented.
YouTube TV launched in 2017 as a pay internet TV service to rival cable options, boasting a lineup that includes more than 70 major U.S. networks such as Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, and ESPN, as well as an on-demand library of movies. I am. TV program.
News that X may be launching a similar platform comes after X declared: blog post Last month, the company said it has moved away from its text-based roots and is “now a video-first platform,” allowing users to upload long-form videos to the platform.
According to a blog post shared in early January, users watch videos on X in 8 out of 10 user sessions.
When the Post asked Company X for comment, the press email automatically replied, “I’m busy at the moment, so please check back later.” This was the first time since Twitter, when Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in October 2022.
After competing with YouTube for a TV app in the near future, Musk also intends to make his site compete with digital services such as live streaming platform Twitch, encrypted messaging app Signal and social media forum Reddit, the people said. told Fortune.
In the meantime, Musk has given employees an October 2024 deadline to implement a payment processing mechanism that would allow people to de-bank their accounts.
“When I say payments, I actually mean someone’s entire financial life,” Musk told an all-hands meeting late last year about his charges.
“If it involves money, it’s going to be done on our platform,” Musk said, adding, “What I’m talking about is, for example, you won’t need a bank account.”
When Musk bought the platform, he said he wanted X to be a “super app” like China’s WeChat, combining features such as instant messaging, social media, mobile payments and video conferencing.
To that end, X has overhauled its paid verification system, raised the character limit from 280 to 25,000 characters, rolled out video and voice calling, and implemented a payment model for creators to earn money on the platform. did.
