X Debuts Connected TV App

September 4, 2024

After teasing glimpses of its new television app over recent months, X has now officially launched the beta version of X TV, which it describes as “a significant step forward in transforming X into a video-centric platform.”

X TV App: A Familiar Experience

The new X TV app bears a striking resemblance to the Connected TV (CTV) version of YouTube, doesn’t it?

Indeed, X’s new big-screen playback platform closely mirrors the YouTube TV app, offering a comprehensive overview of all the video content available on X, right on the largest screen in your home.

Reports suggest that X has informed potential video ad partners that the new TV app will showcase trending content, driven by X’s advancing AI technology. The app is also expected to eventually support cross-device compatibility, allowing users to continue watching content seamlessly as they switch from their phone to their television.

X has also indicated that it will soon introduce new advertising options for the TV app, although these are not available at present.

Expanding Video Content Consumption

The hope is that this development will encourage greater video content consumption within the app. Given that CTV is the fastest-growing category for YouTube, it’s clear why X would want to focus on this aspect.

The question remains, however, whether X can generate more interest in its video offerings on larger screens, especially considering that its current line-up of exclusive content isn’t exactly headline-grabbing.

So far, X has secured video content deals with the following:

Khloe Kardashian on an unnamed project
Paris Hilton, on a project that now appears to have been scrapped
Tucker Carlson, whose interviews consistently attract millions of views within the app
Don Lemon, whose X show was cancelled following an interview with Elon Musk
Tulsi Gabbard, who is developing a documentary-style series focused on U.S. politics
Jim Rome, whose popular show "The Jungle" is now airing in the app
WWE, which airs a weekly "WWE Speed" show on the platform
The Big 3 League of Retired NBA Players, which aired weekly games during its most recent season
Rap Battle Show Verzuz, which is looking to make a comeback on X

While these deals represent a range of content, they may not be strong enough to attract a mainstream audience. However, X is still negotiating new content deals, which could bring more exclusives to the app in the future.

The Challenge of Merging X Posts with Video Content

There is significant potential if X can successfully merge its posts with video commentary. However, based on past attempts, achieving this will be challenging.

This is not X’s first foray into CTV viewing or exclusive video content deals. In 2016, when the company was still known as Twitter, video became a central part of its growth strategy. This included signing exclusive contracts with the MLB, NFL, and NBA to broadcast games directly within the app.

At that time, Twitter also launched dedicated apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox One, enabling users to watch Twitter’s video content on their home television screens.

The Struggle to Combine Discussion and Viewing

Twitter spent years trying to crack the code on combining its popularity as a “second-screen” discussion app (Twitter/X hosts the most TV show-related discussions) with direct video consumption. While this concept could have unlocked a range of new possibilities, Twitter never managed to successfully merge these two user behaviours.

For whatever reason, Twitter users traditionally preferred to keep the discussion and viewing experiences separate. When it came time to renew its expensive sports rights deals, Twitter opted out, choosing to maintain smaller agreements, which eventually faded away as well.

Potential and Future Prospects

Conceptually, combining live commentary from X with big-screen TV viewing could enhance the overall experience. If X can master the balance between these two elements, the opportunity remains promising.

However, if this strategy doesn’t succeed, X may need to secure some highly popular shows to attract interest. Given the platform’s declining revenue, it’s unclear how X will negotiate these deals, aside from relying on creator revenue-sharing agreements to lure stars from other apps.

Nevertheless, X remains committed to becoming a video-focused app, and the updated CTV platform is a step towards this goal. While it may not be a game-changer at this stage, with more exclusive content and an improved CTV experience, it could lay the groundwork for future video engagement growth.