Substack has launched a beta version of its Substack TV app for Apple TV and Google TV, extending its video posts and livestreams onto connected TV screens.
The company says creators who already publish video do not need to take any additional steps, with existing videos automatically available to signed-in subscribers on TV. At launch, the app supports playback of video posts and livestreams from subscribed publications, a “For You” row combining subscribed videos with recommendations, and dedicated pages for each subscription to browse more video.
Both free and paid users can sign in, with access tied in with their current subscription tier. Substack said previews of paid content for free subscribers are not yet supported, but are planned for a future update.
The move is another step in Substack’s push beyond newsletters and into video-led subscriptions, positioning longform creator video and live programming for “lean-back” viewing in the living room. Substack also signalled further feature expansion beyond this first release, including broader discovery and other media formats.
However, early reaction has been mixed, with some writers criticising a perceived drift away from Substack’s writing-first roots as the platform adds more video and recommendations.
