Disney+ is adding a new way to discover what to watch next, unveiling a vertical, TikTok-style feed of short videos called Verts inside its mobile app. First teased at CES, the feature is now rolling out to users across the US, offering an endless scroll of clips designed to nudge viewers from quick previews into full-length streams.
The format is unmistakable: swipe through full-screen snippets tailored to your tastes, then tap to start watching or save to your list. It’s a playbook perfected on social platforms and increasingly borrowed by streaming services trying to reduce the time people spend hunting for something new.
What Verts Is on Disney+ and How It Works for Viewers
Verts lives on the bottom navigation of the Disney+ mobile app. Open it and you’ll see a vertical feed of trailers and clips cut from across Disney’s catalog, spanning more than a century of content. Each clip includes two prominent actions on the right side of the screen: add to your watchlist or start watching immediately.
Disney says recommendations are personalized using its existing viewing and search signals, so your feed should adapt to what you actually finish and favor. Someone binging franchise films might see a cascade of Star Wars or Marvel moments; a reality TV fan could get music documentaries or competition series highlights. The goal is to compress the journey from curiosity to play into a couple of taps.
The company also hints Verts will evolve beyond straight trailers. Expect experiments with behind-the-scenes snippets, character moments, or timely themed collections as Disney tests what best converts a swipe into a stream.
Why Disney Is Betting on Short-Form Discovery
Content discovery has become one of streaming’s most expensive problems. Research firms like Antenna have tracked US streaming churn hovering above 6% monthly, a sign that users are quick to cancel if a service doesn’t surface something compelling. The industry’s response has been to reduce choice paralysis with smarter rails, autoplay, and now, swipeable video teasers that mirror social media habits.
Short-form feeds disproportionately capture attention. Data.ai and Insider Intelligence have consistently ranked TikTok among the top apps for time spent per user, reshaping how audiences expect to browse video. By placing a lean-back, swipe-first experience at the app’s front door, Disney+ is meeting users where their thumbs already are—on vertical video that delivers fast pattern recognition and instant gratification.
There’s also a business logic: an engaging feed can raise session starts, improve conversion from browsing to playback, and ultimately lift retention. For services with ad-supported tiers, it can become premium real estate for promoting originals or partner content—though Disney has not said Verts will carry ads.
How It Compares to Rival Features from Streamers
Disney isn’t first to import social mechanics. Netflix’s Fast Laughs has offered a similar scroll of bite-sized comedy and show clips since 2021, primarily on mobile, to mixed but persistent adoption. Prime Video has tested short-form discovery modules and richer preview stories within its interface. On the sports side, ESPN—also under Disney—launched its own Verts last year to package highlights and quick hits.
Disney’s edge is breadth and brand gravity. Few libraries can cut from an animated classic to a Marvel set piece, then land on an FX drama or a National Geographic expedition without confusing the viewer. If the recommendation system threads that needle—serving tight, relevant clips without whiplash—Verts could become a signature on-ramp rather than a novelty.
Privacy Controls and Profile Relevance for Families
Personalization raises familiar questions about data use and family viewing. Disney+ already supports individual profiles and Kids Mode, and the company says Verts is tailored to each user’s watch history. In practice, that means parents should expect feeds aligned to the active profile, not a household blend—an important distinction for relevance and appropriateness.
AI at Disney and What Comes Next for Verts
Disney’s partnership with OpenAI, announced alongside early access to the Sora video model, hints at a more interactive future for Verts. While details are sparse, the company has discussed letting fans generate short, brand-safe clips using iconic characters and settings and share them socially. If woven into Verts, that could turn the feed from a discovery lane into a participation loop—provided Disney solves moderation, rights, and safety at scale.
Success metrics to watch include the click-through rate from Verts to full titles, completion rates of clips, and the share of first plays that originate from the feed. If those numbers trend up, expect Disney to expand Verts globally, fold in more original micro-content, and potentially integrate cross-promotion with Hulu inside the combined app experience.
The takeaway is straightforward: the scroll is coming to streaming. By blending social-style previews with a deep, family-friendly library, Disney+ is betting that a few well-chosen seconds are enough to win the next hour of your attention.
