Instagram is testing videos that run up to 90 minutes. That is the plainest signal yet that Instagram’s 90 minute series format is not a product tweak but a change in what the platform wants to pay for. Reach counted the people who glanced. Retention counts the people who stayed. If your creator scorecards still lead with impressions, they were built for a platform that is quietly moving on.
What Instagram is actually testing
Start with the facts, because the rumor mill has already stretched them. Engadget reports that Instagram is testing a horizontal format called “features” that supports clips up to 90 minutes long. Only a few creators with individual Meta deals can use it for now, and the company is reportedly targeting comedians and podcasters.
The same report says Instagram has been testing “series,” which lets creators link multiple short videos together so related content from one creator is easier to find. That episodic content is now coming to the TV app.
Two formats, one direction. A series turns a pile of disconnected clips into a sequence, and a 90-minute feature turns a glance into a sitting. Both only work if people keep watching.
Why this is a retention story, not a length story
Length is the headline. Retention is the point.
A 15-second Reel can win on reach because the cost of a view is almost nothing. A viewer who taps through a series, or settles in for a podcast episode on a living-room screen, has made a much bigger commitment. Instagram cannot monetize that commitment with the same logic it used for the Reels feed. It needs sessions that last, return visits, and audiences that finish what they start.
The report also notes that this is an attempt to take on YouTube and to host content that typically comes with more lucrative ad deals. Longer, more attentive viewing is what advertisers on YouTube already buy. Instagram wants a share of that budget, and attention that holds is the proof it must offer.
When a platform builds series, TV apps and 90-minute videos at the same time, it is telling you which metric it will reward: viewers who stay and come back, not viewers who scroll past.
The reach metrics that will mislead you
Which numbers are about to get less useful? Most of the ones sitting at the top of your report.
- Impressions and raw reach. They say nothing about whether anyone absorbed the message. In a long format they say even less.
- Follower count. It is a proxy for potential audience, not for people who will sit through 40 minutes. Our coverage of Instagram rings judges already showed that sends can matter more than followers.
- Three-second views. A threshold built for the feed tells you almost nothing about a series episode.
- Engagement rate. Likes cluster in the first seconds. Depth of viewing is a different signal.
None of these become worthless. They become context. The primary question moves from “how many saw it?” to “how much of it did they watch, and did they come back for the next one?”
A retention scorecard for creator programs
Here is the practical shift. If you buy a series or a long-form integration, your scorecard needs fields that most briefs never mention.
- Average percentage viewed. Ask for it per episode, not per account.
- Drop-off curve. Where do viewers leave? If your integration sits at minute 12 and half the audience is gone by minute 8, you paid for an empty room.
- Episode-to-episode return rate. This is the core series metric. Does episode two hold what episode one earned?
- Completion on TV versus mobile. The TV app is part of the plan, so living-room viewing may behave very differently from phone viewing.
- Downstream action. Searches, site visits, code redemptions, and repeat purchases tied to the content.
That last item connects to a broader problem. Most teams still cannot tie creator exposure to outcomes. Our piece on why unified measurement remains rare explains why retention data will only help if you have a place to put it. And if loyalty is your goal, the lessons in measuring repeat buys apply directly.
What changes in briefs and contracts
Short-form briefs are about the hook. Long-form briefs are about structure. A 90-minute video with a 30-second mention at the start is not an integration. It is a pre-roll nobody asked for.
Rewrite your briefs around three questions:
- Where does the brand appear? Placement now needs to be negotiated against the drop-off curve, not just against a timestamp.
- How does it recur? A series gives you the chance to weave a product through several episodes. That is closer to the model in ambassador deals than to a one-off post.
- What proof of use is on screen? Long content exposes thin endorsements fast. Viewers have time to notice a script. Our guide on proof of use covers how to contract for it.
Contracts should also require the creator to share retention analytics within an agreed window, with screenshots or exports rather than summaries. If a creator will not share watch-time data on a retention-priced deal, treat that as a vetting signal.
The risk: this has been tried before
Be skeptical. Healthy skepticism is part of the job.
The same Engadget report points out that Meta made a similar pitch when it launched IGTV in 2018. The standalone app never gained much traction, and Instagram shut it down in 2022. Mosseri himself said the latest push will likely take time to get right, and that Meta is very committed to it long term. He also voiced a concern that longer videos could cannibalize engagement with the short-form content users already watch.
So what does that mean for budget? Do not move your core program. Run a controlled test.
- Pick two or three creators whose audiences already show long-form habits elsewhere, such as podcasts or YouTube.
- Cap spend at a level you could lose without a budget conversation.
- Set the retention thresholds before the content goes live, not after.
- Compare cost per retained minute against your Reels baseline.
Access is another constraint. Right now the format is limited to creators with Meta deals, which narrows your roster options and may raise prices for the few who qualify. If your plan leans on mid-tier talent, the dynamics in mid-tier rebalancing are worth reading before you commit.
Cost per retained minute
Here is a number worth building. Take the fee, then divide it by total minutes watched by the target audience, not by impressions. A cheap Reel with 3 seconds of average attention can look efficient on CPM. Compared per minute watched, it may be far more expensive than a series episode with deep viewing.
This is not a published industry standard. It is a working formula I would use internally, and you should validate it against your own results before putting it in a board deck. The value is in forcing the conversation about attention rather than exposure.
FAQs
What is Instagram’s 90-minute video format?
It is a horizontal format called “features” that Instagram is testing, supporting videos up to 90 minutes. Access is currently limited to a few creators with individual Meta deals, with comedians and podcasters reportedly targeted first.
What is the difference between a series and a feature on Instagram?
A series links multiple short videos from one creator so viewers can find related content more easily. A feature is a single long horizontal video. Both are aimed at keeping people watching longer, and series content is also coming to Instagram’s TV app.
Does this mean reach metrics no longer matter?
No. Reach still tells you how many people had a chance to see your message. But for long-form and episodic content it should sit beside retention metrics such as average percentage viewed, drop-off points and episode-to-episode return rate.
Should brands shift budget to long-form Instagram content now?
Not wholesale. The format is a test with limited creator access, and Meta’s earlier long-form attempt, IGTV, was shut down. Run a small pilot with clear retention thresholds, then decide whether to scale.
What retention metrics should I ask creators for?
Ask for average percentage viewed, the drop-off curve, completion rate by device, and return rate between episodes. Write the reporting requirement into the contract, with exports or screenshots delivered by a set date.
How should I price a long-form integration?
Tie it to attention, not impressions. Compare the fee against total minutes watched by your target audience, and compare that cost per retained minute with your current short-form baseline.
Next step: before your next creator brief goes out, add three required fields (average percentage viewed, drop-off curve and episode return rate) and pilot them on one series test with a capped budget.
Editor’s note: only one external source (Engadget) could be opened and verified during research, so this draft contains one external link instead of the 3-5 required. Add further verified sources before publishing.
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