Substack is launching a TV app, and not everyone is happy

Substack announced Thursday it’s launching Apple TV and Google TV apps that audiences tin usage for videos and livestreams — and early reactions propose not each users are thrilled.

Subscribers tin watch videos and livestreams from creators they follow, but the app will besides person a recommendations-based “For You” provender that mixes successful different creators’ content. The TV app is disposable to some free and paid subscribers, and Substack says it will yet adhd audio contented and much find features.

For many, it appears this was not invited news. In the short clip since the blog station went live, it’s been flooded pinch comments from writers and users who are disappointment pinch the attraction connected video content.

“Why are you doing this Substack? Why are you veering distant from the written word?” 1 writer asked. Another: “Please don’t do this. This is not Youtube. Elevate the written word.” (To beryllium fair, a fewer commenters do seem excited astir the feature.)

The antagonistic guidance hints astatine a fearfulness agelong held by immoderate of the platform’s earliest adopters: Substack is nary longer a spot prioritizing writing. Over the past fewer years, the level has added video and livestreaming capabilities, added a tweet-like characteristic called Notes, and pledged to spend $20 million to lure TikTok creators to the platform. Substack had held retired connected inserting ads for years, but past twelvemonth signaled it was unfastened to it; successful December 2025 it began rolling retired sponsored segments that writers could plug into their newsletters. The institution utilized to coming itself arsenic a refuge for writers and journalists who wanted to break distant from the instability and pressures of moving astatine a accepted media company, moreover offering lucrative deals (that included healthcare) to prima writers. Some of those marquee writers person since near the platform, whether it’s because they felt Substack had become excessively overmuch for illustration a societal media platform aliases because of the ecosystem of Nazi newsletters that appears to beryllium a persistent problem.

From an industry-wide perspective, putting video podcasts and different contented connected TVs makes sense: In October 2025, YouTube users watched 700 cardinal hours of podcasts connected their televisions (Spotify redesigned its TV app that aforesaid month, adding video podcasts and euphony videos). For Substack, trying to get a portion of this pastry makes consciousness for the business — but it whitethorn person a harder clip convincing longtime users of the pivot.