Instagram will begin showing view counts over the “coming weeks,” along with the standard “like” and “comment” counts. Right now, the only data that is available on video content is whether people like the video or have something to say about it. The missing element has been reach.
One possible reason to include video view count is to possibly appeal to advertisers, as a view is a major metric that advertisers focus on when it comes to video ads. By adding view counts, this could be even more appealing to these particular folks.
The view counts are said to be rolling out over the coming weeks. If you want to check out more information on it, check out the official Instagram blog post.