Instagram‘s pitch to longform video creators now reportedly comes with a paycheck, and for some, it could reach half a million dollars.
The platform has offered select creators deals worth up to $500,000 to post longer videos through its new Features format, Business Insider reported Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the agreements. Some offers are worth $50,000, while others reach six figures, according to the outlet.
The deals reportedly don’t require creators to make their videos exclusive to Instagram. One person familiar with the offers told BI that Instagram is asking creators to upload the longform videos they publish on YouTube to Instagram on the same day.
For the creators already making those videos, this news could mean another place to distribute their work, with a payment attached.
“We’ve been public about the fact that we are funding Features content directly with some creators right now to support them,” a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. “The details of those deals are confidential, but we’re excited to see the content going live.”
The report adds a financial incentive to Instagram’s latest attempt to get people watching longer videos. As Mashable reported earlier this week, Features will allow uploads of up to 90 minutes, with an emphasis on horizontal video that people can watch on their phones, computers, and TVs. Instagram is conducting small tests in the U.S. and Brazil.
Instagram announced Features Monday, with Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri and VP of Product Tessa Lyons explaining how longer videos could fit alongside Reels.
“So many creators are producing longer videos, and they’re using clips of those videos to drive discovery on Reels and help build their audience,” Lyons said in the announcement. “Features would let those viewers watch the full video without leaving Instagram.”
The format also gives Instagram more content for its television app,
“We’ve been working on a TV version of Reels, and we know that to do that well, we need more than just short-form video,” Lyons said.
As Mashable reported, Instagram’s TV app began testing on Amazon Fire TVs in late 2025, expanded to Samsung TVs in mid-2026, and arrived on Apple TV in October. Features would give people more to watch on those bigger screens, including longer, horizontal videos.
These additions reflect how Instagram is positioning itself to be more in direct competition with YouTube, giving viewers a new place to discover short clips and watch full-length videos on the same platform.
YouTube is still the platform to beat
Instagram is chasing a platform with both a bigger audience and an established way to pay creators. A Pew Research Center survey published Oct. 19 found that 84 percent of U.S. adults use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform surveyed, compared with 51 percent for Instagram. Among adults ages 18 to 29, YouTube reaches 95 percent, compared with Instagram’s 79 percent.
Credit: Pew Research Center
YouTube’s Partner Program gives eligible creators 55 percent of net ad revenue from their longform videos, offering a way to earn money beyond brand partnerships and individual platform deals. But qualifying will soon get harder. Starting Feb. 1, 2027, new applicants will need 8,000 qualified watch hours over 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days — double the current thresholds. Both routes will still require at least 1,000 subscribers, while creators already enrolled will remain in the program.
Instagram’s reported offers could make posting on both platforms more appealing for both reach and monetization, especially since the deals don’t require exclusivity. But those payments are going to select creators, at least for now (though Instagram hasn’t announced a broader revenue-sharing program for Features).
“We understand the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid,” Mosseri wrote on X Wednesday.
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The next test is whether viewers who come for a quick Reel will stay for a full episode.
Source: https://mashable.com/life/instagram-features-youtube-creators-payment-deals
