TechCrunch Daily Crunch Meta starts testing a premium subscription on Instagram
Mar 31, 2026
News on Uber buying Blacklane to expand upscale ride services. Coverage of why OpenAI pulled Sora amid low usage and high compute costs. Breakdown of Meta testing Instagram Premium features like anonymous story views, viewer search and audience lists.
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Uber Buys Blacklane To Bulk Up Elite Service
- Uber is acquiring Berlin startup Blacklane to expand luxury and executive travel services.
- Blacklane's global presence and previous $100M+ funding make it a strategic fit for Uber Elite's chauffeur and premium offerings.
Sora Was Killed Because It Was A Costly Nonstarter
- OpenAI shut down its Sora video app largely because it burned about $1M per day while usage collapsed below 500,000 users.
- The closure freed compute and talent to focus on more revenue-driving projects like Cloud Code and enterprise wins.
Instagram Tests Paid Premium With Story Tools
- Meta is testing Instagram Plus, a paid subscription that unlocks story privacy and visibility tools.
- Premium features include anonymous story viewing, rewatch counts, unlimited custom audience lists, extended stories, spotlights, animated super likes, and searchable viewer lists.