Instagram rolled out its answer to TikTok this morning -- Instagram Reels, which allows users to shoot-and-edit or watch short-form 15-second videos. The social media company’s U.S. rollout comes after Instagram tested it in Brazil, Germany, France and India. “It’s too simplistic a characterization to say that it’s just a response to TikTok,” said Instagram Head of Sports Dev Sethi. “The trend of young people embracing, consuming and creating really short form video is a trend that every major social digital platform has observed. That goes for TikTok, Instagram, Snap, YouTube.” As a difference, Sethi pointed to the shorter length of Instagram Reels' 15-second videos compared to TikTok’s 60-second ones and specific augmented reality features that are part of Instagram Reels. Sethi said his group will push leagues, teams and media companies to create their own content for Reels. “It not only gives the leagues the opportunity to engage their fans who already follow them, but it also gives them the potential to reach potential fans who might not be familiar with or follow that brand. They can really inspire creativity and expression with that built-in fan base.” Already, sports organizations like the NBA and Heat have posted content using Reels.
