Disney+ premieres vertical short-form videos in the U.S.

Disney is getting into the short-form video business, launching a vertical, swipeable and “truly entertaining” content series on Disney+ in the U.S. — starting with some homegrown magic. The new entertainment offering will become available on Disney+. The company previewed the experience during its Tech + Data Showcase at CES as a personalized feed that will grow and change over time as it mines Disney’s vast content universe.

What’s in the new Disney+ vertical short-form feed

Look out for original shorts, re-edited scenes from films and shows, and other curated social clips aggregated from brands within Disney Entertainment. Disney execs, in interviews reported on by Deadline, said the format will be designed to work natively for vertical viewing — it’s less of a bolt-on gimmick and more an embedded path into full shows, extras and reflections on the making-of stuff.

The approach is similar to Disney’s earlier experiments within the ESPN app, in terms of a customized vertical video experience that has helped surface highlights and commentary at speed. Apply that playbook to Disney+ and it translates into a feed that can effortlessly leap from Pixar to Star Wars to National Geographic, with the option for viewers to dip into full episodes or movies if they are hooked by a clip.

Why this short-form push matters for engagement

Short-form video is the de facto daily habit of younger audiences, and streamers are chasing that frequency. Insider Intelligence estimates that by now, a working definition of social and short-form viewing makes up a significant chunk of total digital video time in the U.S., where TikTok use among adults is averaging around an hour a day. With the theater-lobby interactivity, bringing snippets of that behavior into a premium SVOD app is an attempt to turn quick swipes into something longer.

Retention figures into the calculus. Antenna has observed increased churn across premium streaming — which hovers at about the mid-single digits on a monthly basis in the U.S. — amid consumer rotational behavior among services. A good short-form layer can provide a way to plant daily touchpoints, foster fandom in the gaps between tentpole releases and damp down the “open app only on new-episode night” model that dogs episodic platforms.

How Disney could differentiate its short-form feed

In contrast to open creator platforms, Disney owns an extensive library and brand standards that are cast in stone. That makes room for carefully curated clips, which run the gamut from character moments and lore explainers to stunts and “micro-trailers” that match a viewer’s taste graph — all without the hazards of user-generated uploads. It’s also built for extended ages and parental controls in a manner that aligns with Disney’s family focus.

Customization is the swing factor. If the feed knows when a viewer is likely to lean back into a full film versus graze on shorts, it can steer to the right experience. Expect swipe-to-continue, chapters that thread clips into mini-collections and prompts that push to watchlists, downloads or co-viewing through GroupWatch.

Competitive landscape for short-form streaming feeds

Disney+ is not the only platform to intersperse short clips in long-form catalogs. Netflix has embraced a vertical feed to pluck moments from originals, and YouTube Shorts has hopped onto living room screens. The ESPN app’s vertical feed is a case study in-house for Disney telling the company that swipes can lead to full-length viewing when recommendations are tight.

Disney+’s IP gravity will be the differentiating factor here. Few platforms are better equipped to convert a 15-second lightsaber flourish or an achingly nostalgic Marvel callback into you starting that film in the same session than Disney — so long as the handoff from snackable to sit-down feels seamless.

Monetization and advertising implications for Disney+

Short-form unlocks high-frequency inventory for Disney+’s ad-supported tier, which the company says represents more than 50% of new U.S. sign-ups. Quick, contextual placements around clips can elevate campaign reach independent of mid-rolls in long-form episodes. Through its clean-room partnerships with firms like Nielsen and Comscore, Disney Advertising can test frequency caps, creative sequencing and audience segments across formats.

And there’s space for commerce and promotions, too. Promotions that tie in with theatrical releases, park experiences or merchandise can be framed within clips — a space where Disney’s cross-portfolio muscle could flex if kept tasteful and optional.

Risks and open questions about a vertical short-form feed

For many scholars, short-form video will seem incongruous within an app designed for cinematic watching. If the feed buries the home screen or surfaces irrelevant clips, users may bounce. Clear labeling, simple opt-outs and a separate lane for kids’ profiles will be critical. Offline support, accessibility and content controls matter too — especially for families who want some predictability inside of Disney+.

How the feed is presented on mobile versus connected TVs, how long before it moves out of the U.S., and which franchises are in the lead all have yet to be answered.

Success will manifest itself in the number of daily active users, session starts, completion rates and how often a swipe translates into a complete play.

The bottom line on Disney+ adding short-form videos

Disney’s move illustrates the muscle of short-form discovery in a premium streaming environment, as the company bets that curated, brand-safe clips can deepen fandom and stem churn. Done right, it could turn into a daily on-ramp to Disney+’s most precious resource — its stories — without watering down the big-screen experience that drew subscribers in the first place.