Instagram’s pitch to longform video creators now reportedly comes with a pay check, and for some, it could reach half a million dollars.
The platform has offered deals up to $500,000 to select creators to post longer videos through its new feature format. Business Insider report Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the agreements. According to the outlet, some offers are as high as $50,000, while others reach six figures.
The deals reportedly don’t require creators to make their videos exclusive to Instagram. Instagram is asking creators to upload longer videos published on YouTube to Instagram the same day, a person familiar with the offer told BI.
For creators who are already making videos, this news could mean another place to distribute their work, with payment attached.
“We’ve been public about the fact that we’re funding feature content directly to support some creators right now,” a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. “The details of those deals are confidential, but we’re excited to see the content go live.”
The report adds financial incentives to Instagram’s latest effort to get people to watch longer videos. As Mashable reported earlier this week, the feature will allow uploads of up to 90 minutes, with an emphasis on horizontal videos that people can watch on their phones, computers, and TVs. Instagram is conducting small tests in the US and Brazil.
Instagram is testing 90-minute videos
Instagram announced features on MondayInstagram head Adam Mosseri and vice president of product Tessa Lyons explained how long videos can fit with Reels.
Mashable Trend Report
“So many creators are creating longer videos, and they’re using clips from those videos to help drive searches on Reels and build their audiences,” Lyons said in the announcement. “The features will let those viewers watch the full video without leaving Instagram.”
The format also gives Instagram more content for its television app,
“We’re working on a TV version of Reels, and we know to do it well, we need more than just short-form videos,” Lyons said.
As Mashable reported, Instagram’s TV app began testing on Amazon Fire TV in late 2025, expanded to Samsung TVs in mid-2026, and came to Apple TV in October. The features will provide more opportunities for people to watch on larger screens, including longer, horizontal videos.
These additions reflect how Instagram is positioning itself 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 pursuing a platform with both a large audience and established ways of paying creators. A Pew Research Center survey published October 19 found that 84 percent of US adults use YouTube, making it the most used platform in the survey, compared to Instagram at 51 percent. Among adults aged 18 to 29, YouTube’s reach is 95 percent, while Instagram’s is 79 percent.
Credit: Pew Research Center
YouTube’s Partner Program gives eligible creators 55 percent of the net ad revenue from their long-form videos, providing a way to earn money beyond brand partnerships and individual platform deals. But qualifying will soon become difficult. From February 1, 2027, new applicants will need to have 8,000 eligible watch hours over 12 months or 20 million eligible Shorts views over 90 days – double the current limit. Both routes will still require a minimum of 1,000 subscribers, while previously enrolled creators will remain in the program.
YouTube raises the bar for creators to earn ad revenue
Instagram’s reported offers could make posting on both platforms more attractive for both reach and monetization, especially since the deals don’t require exclusivity. but they’re going to get paid choose Creators, at least for now (though Instagram hasn’t announced a broader revenue-sharing program for the feature).
“We understand the economics case very well, and are exploring a number of options to help long-term creators get paid,” Mosseri wrote on Wednesday.
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The next test is whether viewers who come to watch the quick reel will stay for the entire episode.