Meta’s rollout of Broadcast Channels across its suite of apps is underway, starting with Instagram and WhatsApp. A broadcast channel is essentially a one-to-many messaging system that enables creators and businesses to send messages to a large number of followers or subscribers at once.

To me, this sounds reminiscent of RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication), which bloggers use to distribute new content automatically to their subscribers, who can enroll to receive push notifications whenever a new post is published, rather than having to visit the blog directly. With Broadcast Channels, creators and businesses will presumably have more control over content distribution, as they can push updates and messages to their followers directly, rather than relying solely on their followers to scroll through feeds to discover content.

On the other hand… Unlike RSS feeds, Broadcast Channels allow for one-to-many messaging with private one-to-one communication, thereby enabling subscribers to reply and engage with creators or businesses.

Moreover, given the fact that users tend to send more DMs than post content on platforms like Instagram (per a recent tweet from Adam Mosseri), and the expected integration of Broadcast Channels within messaging features of these apps, it's safe to assume that this new feature is poised for success.