X doubles down on video with a new TV app

Years ago, Twitter attempted to create TV apps but abandoned the effort due to a lack of user interest. Now, under the new branding as X, the company is revisiting this strategy to enhance its advertising revenue, which has been struggling. A beta version of the TV app is currently available on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV, although it has not yet launched on other platforms like Apple TV or Roku. CEO Linda Yaccarino announced these plans in April, highlighting the urgency for X to improve its financial situation. The TV app aims to aggregate videos from various organizations, publishers, and creators, potentially increasing user engagement. This is not the first foray into video content for the platform; in 2016, Twitter launched several TV apps to connect users with live events and trending discussions but ultimately discontinued most of them due to profitability concerns. Despite these setbacks, the pursuit of a successful video business remains a key objective for X. The challenge lies in encouraging creators to produce original video content that captivates users. Previous initiatives, such as a TikTok-like full-screen feed, have been introduced, but the effectiveness of these strategies is still uncertain. X's ad revenue share program, initiated last year, is based on user engagement and views, which has drawn mixed reactions from creators regarding its sustainability. As X navigates these challenges, the long-term viability of its creator economy strategy remains in question. The company must find a way to balance creator incentives with user engagement to ensure the success of its new video initiatives.