Substack has launched a new beta TV app for Apple TV and Google TV, bringing video posts and livestreams from subscribed creators out of your inbox and onto your sofa.
On paper, the move makes sense. Substack has been steadily leaning into video and live content over the past year, and the TV app simply surfaces that existing material in a more “lean-back” format. Open the app, log in, and you’ll see videos from creators you already follow, alongside a personalised “For You” row and dedicated pages for individual publications.
Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Substack on a TV is… a little strange.
Substack’s appeal has always been its intimacy. It’s the place for long reads, thoughtful essays and slow, deliberate consumption, not exactly something that screams big-screen viewing. Watching a 40-minute interview or lecture while cooking dinner makes practical sense, but it’s a sharp shift from the platform’s original, inbox-first identity.
For creators, though, the transition is frictionless. Videos already published on Substack automatically appear in the TV app, with no extra formatting or uploads required. That simplicity could make the app appealing for writers and journalists who’ve already built audiences through livestreams and video essays, without forcing them to adopt YouTube-style workflows.
The launch also signals Substack’s broader ambitions. This isn’t just a newsletter service anymore as it’s positioning itself as a full media platform. Journalist Jim Acosta has called the TV app a “game-changing moment” for independent media, and there’s some truth to that. Being on TV puts independent creators in direct competition with traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms for attention.
That said, the app’s beta status shows. Search is limited, there’s no support yet for audio posts or read-aloud features, and non-subscribers can’t preview paid content. Substack says these features are coming, but for now, the experience feels functional rather than polished.
Whether Substack belongs on a TV is another question entirely. It’s a bold expansion, but one that fundamentally changes how the platform feels. Substack has always been about reading quietly on your own terms, turning it into something you watch may take some getting used to.
For now, Substack on TV feels less like a must-have app and more like an experiment. One that makes sense strategically, even if it still feels a little odd in practice.
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