Elon Musk Set To Create A Dedicated Smart TV App For X

• Elon Musk is planning to roll out a dedicated X app for streaming videos directly on a smart TV.
• Musk is going to compete with YouTube through this move.
• The X app was recently updated to allow video & audio calling and will soon let you make payments and send messages.

Elon Musk is planning to enter the long-format video market with a dedicated streaming app for X for smart TVs. It will start with Fire OS and Tizen OS (both Amazon) and if everything works out, the app will also expand to Google TV and Apple TV.

The news rose to the surface through a report from Fortune that said Elon Musk is planning to launch a TV app for X that will be similar to YouTube's TV app. The information came from an unidentified source claiming this is a strategic move to compete with Google (who owns YouTube).

The aforementioned news has been confirmed by Elon Musk himself through a post on X captioned with a simple Coming Soon" and a picture showing the X TV app on screen. According to reports, the app will roll out within a week, and as claimed by Fortune, will have features similar to YouTube.

Thoroughly researched YouTube statistics reveal that it is one of the most popular video streaming apps with more than 3 billion active users. Plus, when it comes to its smart TV audience, there's hardly any competition. This means that there's a lot of scope for X to wiggle in. After all, as an end user, I'd surely appreciate a couple of choices.

On top of that, Apple's Airplay feature will let iPhone users directly stream videos from X's mobile app to their TVs. So, even those who don't get X's dedicated TV app will be able to enjoy X's videos on the big screen. This will not only allow the social media giant to access untapped markets but also give it an edge over YouTube and other TV streaming services.

What Led To Elon Musk's Sudden Change of Plans?

While a pivot to video streaming can seem erratic, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone following the changes at X. Ever since Musk acquired the company, he has been pitching the social media app as an everything app"

For the same reason, he added a new feature in October last year allowing premium-plan users to make audio and video calls on X. This feature has recently been made available to every X user, including non-verified accounts.

X users can now also add long-format content and edit posts once they're uploaded.

According to Musk's plans, X will soon be turned into a super app," allowing users to send messages and make payments without having to use any other app.

People responded well to the additions which encouraged the company to ultimately launch a dedicated TV app. In fact, to further strengthen its position as a video-first" platform, X is creating partnerships with the likes of former Fox commentator Tucker Carlson and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

An Ambitious Move or a Necessary One?Muks's overhauling of Twitter has one very clear purpose - to drive up the company's revenue. While this is certainly every business's goal, in X's case, it's more about survival.

Ever since the acquisition, X has been struggling to retain old advertisers. On top of that, it has been bombarded with lawsuits, one after the other, that have drained too much from the company. For example, four former Twitter executives have sued Elon Musk for $128 million over non-payment of severance.

Perhaps that's why X introduced two subscription models - one that allows users to buy" the verification tick mark for $8/month, and another verification package at $200/month or $2,000/year for businesses. Next, to appease advertisers, Musk announced last month that they will be allowed to run ads next to certain content creators on X.

Now, it's venturing into the video streaming industry to drive up its revenue even more. Only time will tell if all these steps can ultimately stabilize the company and propel it toward increased revenue and profitability. It's worth remembering that X CEO said last year that the company would turn profitable in early 2024.

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