Social networks are the new TV

Social networks are the new TV

Silvia Killingsworth on Instagram ads:

Today I was fed a full commercial from Karlie Kloss, which was amazing because it was just a fully produced video ad like the ones you used to see on television when you used to watch live television.

And it is:

[Thanks for sending your @ebay apartment suggestions! ๐Ÿ›‹ Soโ€ฆ what's missing? Follow @eBay on Twitter for more ๐Ÿ˜‹ #eBayUnboxed #ad](https://www.instagram.com/p/BKqbzJagbdP/)

A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on

Yup, thatโ€™s a full-on TV advert. And itโ€™s been commissioned and shot for play on Instagram.

It seems that social networks are becoming the new TV. And in that light the latest โ€œTwitter for saleโ€ rumour makes sense:

Walt Disney Co. is working with a financial adviser to evaluate a possible bid for Twitter Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.

Now streaming on Twitter

Why? Because Twitter is quietly becoming a video company. Mathew Ingram:

With its resources, Disney would be able to help Twitter improve its video streaming and possibly strike new deals with other content providers. As a result of a recent acquisition, Disney owns a stake in BAMTech, the digital arm of Major League Baseball, which runs streaming services for ESPN and others, including Twitter.

As John Gruber put it:

Twitter is a media company and a publishing service, not a social network.

Increasingly I wonder exactly what is a social network in 2016. Snapchat and WhatsApp are less social networks than communication tools. Instagram is a picture sharing service with comms element. Twitter is a publishing platform. Does that just leave Facebook?

Not everyone is certain about Disney making a good partner for Twitter, though:

But if youโ€™re going to spend $18 billion, $20 billion, $30 billion on something, you need a little bit more than โ€œI like the dude who runs the company.โ€

Bear in mind that Disney acquired Marvel AND Lucasfilm AND Pixar, for $15 billion. Is Twitter really worth as much to it as those three properties put together?