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Elon Musk to launch YouTube rival app for smart TVs in big video push

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Social media platform X chief executive Elon Musk has said that he is planning to launch a TV app next week for Amazon and Samsung users who will be able to watch long form videos.

Last October, X had rolled out an early version of video and audio calling for some users. The billionaire had said he planned to turn it into a super app offering services from messaging to peer-to-peer payments, Reuters reported.

ALSO READ: Elon Musk’s X has over a million jobs listings: Check if there’s one for you

Social media platform X owner Elon Musk(Reuters file)
Social media platform X owner Elon Musk(Reuters file)

On a user’s post saying that the social platform’s long-form videos could be directly watched on smart TVs, Musk said, “Coming soon.”

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Reuters quoted a Fortune report that said the app could look similar to the TV app offered by Google’s YouTube. The report cited an unidentified source as saying Musk was set on competing with YouTube.

X has been forging partnerships with the likes of former Fox commentator Tucker Carlson and former CNN anchor Don Lemon in a bid to become a ‘video first platform’.

ALSO READ: Elon Musk responds to X user’s post on ‘Elon vs Zuck fight’ at Rome’s Colosseum

Since its takeover by Musk in 2022, X has struggled to retain advertisers amid controversies ever since Musk bought it in 2022.

In another development, Musk has said that X could soon get approval for a money transmitter licence in New York. He also said X could receive its license in California in the next month or so, while getting the New York approval could be “a few months away”, Reuters reported.

The billionaire has sought to turn it into an “everything app” like Tencent’s dominant WeChat app in China, with features beyond social media, including the ability to send money to other X users.

To offer services across the U.S., experts say X will need a money transmitter license in each state, and Musk has previously said that approval in New York and California would be the most consequential. Those populous states are also known for relatively lengthy approval processes.

Some other states including Pennsylvania and Utah have already granted money transmitter licenses to X.

(With Reuters report)

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