Musk’s Company X Launches YouTube Clone for Smart TVs
Elon Musk’s company X is set to launch a Smart TV application that is reportedly identical to a YouTube app. According to an informed source who talked to Fortune, the app will be released next week, starting with Amazon and Samsung televisions initially.
Competition with Major Video Platforms
Musk’s goal is to turn X into a video platform that can compete with YouTube by offering viewers the opportunity to watch long-form videos on large screens. Besides YouTube, Musk also plans to challenge services like Twitch, Signal, and the social platform Reddit. This move is a part of a broader strategy, unveiled in July, to make X more appealing to internet influencers and advertisers.
Previous Attempts to Enter the TV App Market
The idea of extending the presence of microblogging services to television screens is not novel. Twitter, for instance, launched TV applications at least three times before, with the early versions coming out in 2010 on the now-defunct Google TV platform and in 2011 on the Samsung Smart Hub for Smart TVs. A deal to broadcast 10 NFL games in 2016 led to the launch of video streaming applications for Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Xbox One.
Focusing on Media Personalities and Online Streaming
Musk has been concentrating on media celebrities, online influencers, and video game streaming. Company X recently signed a deal with former CNN star Don Lemon for a new show exclusive to X, and Tucker Carlson, an ex-Fox News anchor, frequently posts lengthy videos on X, including a recent interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Positioning X as a Video Content Platform
Musk called on creators to transfer all their video content to X, promising an increase in ad revenue streams. A recent report stated that almost half of YouTube users in the US watched content on televisions in 2023. Nielsen reported in January that YouTube was the largest streaming service in the US with 8.6% of views on television screens, as opposed to Netflix’s 7.9%.
Challenging Times for Company X
However, X continues to struggle with user and advertiser loss. According to a recent study from Edison Research, the platform’s usage declined by 30% over the past year.
