Short, vertical video is no longer just the domain of social apps. By building TikTok-style feeds directly into their flagship platforms, Disney+ and Netflix are trying to turn the mobile habits of Gen Z into a new engine of streaming growth. In the process, they are dusting off a concept that looked doomed when Quibi collapsed, and betting that the idea was sound even if the first execution was not.
The two giants are not simply copying social media. They are weaving clips, shorts, and experimental formats into the same apps that already host blockbuster series and films, hoping that a few minutes of swiping will eventually convert into hours of viewing.
Disney’s TikTok-style bet inside Disney+
Disney is making the most aggressive move, turning parts of Disney+ into a mobile-first experience that looks and feels closer to a social feed than a traditional streaming grid. Executives used the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to preview a vertical video stream that will surface short clips from Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, positioning the feature as a way to keep fans engaged between longer sessions rather than a replacement for full episodes. At CES, the company framed the new feed as one of several tools, alongside AI-assisted creative experiments, that will help Disney executives reach viewers who increasingly watch on phones.
Internally, the goal is explicit: boost daily engagement by giving subscribers a reason to open the app even when they do not have time for a full movie. Reporting on the product roadmap notes that Disney plans to introduce a vertical video feed in Disney+ later this year, with the company describing it as a way to increase regular usage while keeping human-led storytelling at the center, even as AI tools are tested to support creators rather than replace them. The strategy is framed as a push for a bigger slice of the mobile video market, with Disney emphasizing that the new format should complement, not cannibalize, its core shows and films.
How Disney’s short-form push will actually work
Disney is not hiding the inspiration for its new format. Company leaders have explicitly linked the move to the success of TikTok and Instagram Reels, arguing that short-form video has become a default language for younger audiences. The plan is to bring short clips and original micro-episodes into Disney+, with the feed surfacing everything from character moments to behind-the-scenes snippets that can act as on-ramps into longer content like TV shows and movies. The company has described the initiative as a way to meet viewers where they already are, with one executive noting that, Following the rise of Instagram Reels, it no longer makes sense for Disney to leave that behavior entirely to third-party platforms.
Details emerging from fan-focused reporting suggest that Disney+ will add mobile-focused vertical content later in 2026, with the company openly saying that “Everything’s on the table …” when it comes to experimenting with formats that can improve regular user engagement. That includes short-form pieces tied to major franchises as well as more playful, experimental clips designed to live only in the feed. The new experience is being pitched as part of a broader plan to serve what one executive called an “AI native generation,” with Disney signaling that it will test AI-assisted tools to personalize and create content while still foregrounding human creativity.
AI, personalization, and the “AI native generation”
Disney’s short-form strategy is tightly linked to its broader push into AI and personalization. The company has described the next wave of Disney+ features as being designed for an “AI native generation,” a cohort of viewers who expect feeds to adapt in real time to their tastes. Reporting on the company’s digital plans notes that Disney wants a bigger share of mobile video by combining vertical clips with AI-driven recommendations that can surface the right moment from the right franchise at the right time. Executives have tied this to a larger slate of digital initiatives, with More Stories by Alex highlighting how Disney sees AI as a way to deepen, not dilute, its storytelling.
There is also a clear ambition to blend short-form video with generative tools. Coverage of the new feed has pointed out that it could be integrated with an AI-generated content stream that stems from Disney’s deal with OpenAI, creating a hybrid experience where some clips are drawn from existing shows and others are dynamically created or remixed. That possibility has raised both excitement and concern among fans, who are eager for more bite-size Marvel and Star Wars moments but wary of algorithmically assembled scenes. The company appears to be moving carefully, with reports noting that the vertical feed could eventually sit alongside an AI-driven carousel that makes parts of Disney+ look a lot like a TikTok feed, a shift captured in analysis that describes how Jan announcements previewed a more experimental home screen.
Netflix’s quieter but equally strategic short-form play
While Disney is using CES stages and franchise branding to trumpet its plans, Netflix has been testing short-form video more quietly inside its own app. The company has already rolled out a vertical feed of clips on mobile, positioning it as a way to help subscribers discover shows and films they might otherwise miss. Analysts have argued that short-form clips could significantly increase time spent in the app and deepen Netflix’s appeal to Gen Z, especially if the clips are tightly tied to the service’s existing catalog rather than standalone skits. One breakdown of the tests notes that Short clips can boost Netflix’s time spent and Gen appeal without forcing the company to abandon its storytelling DNA.
Netflix has also been explicit that it does not intend to become a full TikTok competitor. Its chief technology officer, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone, has confirmed that the company is expanding vertical video tests but will not chase TikTok’s endless-scroll model, instead using short clips as a discovery layer that points viewers back to full episodes and films. That stance reflects a belief that Netflix’s advantage lies in its deep library and recommendation algorithms, not in user-generated content. Coverage of the tests has emphasized that the company is threading a needle, with Netflix trying to capture the engagement benefits of vertical video while avoiding the moderation and creator-economy challenges that come with a true social platform.
Inside Netflix’s vertical feed and its political backdrop
The mechanics of Netflix’s short-form experiment are straightforward but revealing. On mobile, users can swipe through a vertical stream of clips that are tailored to their viewing history, with each snippet acting as a trailer-like hook into a longer title. The feature sits alongside the company’s core rows and carousels, reinforcing the idea that short-form is an additive layer rather than a replacement for the traditional interface. The tests have unfolded against a broader regulatory and political backdrop, including President Trump’s second extension of the deadline for the TikTok ban, which underscored how dependent U.S. media companies had become on a Chinese-owned app for reaching younger viewers. Reporting on the feature notes that President Trump extended the TikTok deadline as Netflix was rolling out its new vertical feed, a timing that highlighted the strategic value of owning one’s own short-form channel.
Netflix’s broader product strategy reinforces this direction. The company continues to refine its homepage and personalization systems, using data from every interaction, including clip views, to decide which titles to push. Its main site remains the hub for subscribers to browse and manage accounts, with Netflix positioning the mobile feed as a natural extension of its long-standing focus on algorithmic discovery. In that sense, short-form video is less a radical pivot and more a new surface area for the same recommendation engine that has powered the service for years.
Quibi’s failure and why the idea is getting a second life
All of this inevitably invites comparisons to Quibi, the short-lived mobile streaming startup that tried to build a subscription service around “quick bites” of scripted video. Quibi’s collapse has often been framed as a cautionary Hollywood story about a well-funded platform that misread consumer behavior, but some analysts have argued that the core idea was not inherently flawed. One detailed postmortem suggested that Netflix’s new short video strategy could prove Quibi was right about the demand for premium short-form content, but wrong about launching it as a standalone app with no back catalog. That analysis pointed out that Quibi may have had the right idea, but the wrong execution.
Quibi’s content has since found a second home. Roku acquired the license rights to the service’s programming and made it available for free on its ad-supported channel, turning what had been a paid mobile product into part of a broader streaming bundle. The company described itself as “thrilled” to bring Quibi’s award-winning shows to the Roku Channel in the U.S., a move that effectively salvaged some of the creative investment even as the original platform disappeared. That acquisition, detailed in a corporate announcement that highlighted how Roku picked up Quibi’s library, underscored how valuable short-form rights could be when folded into a larger ecosystem.
What Quibi got wrong, and what Disney and Netflix learned
Quibi’s missteps are instructive for Disney and Netflix. The service launched without a deep library of familiar films or series, asking users to pay for a new subscription built entirely around untested shows. Critics contrasted that with Disney+, which found early success by leaning on its large catalogue of old Pixar and Marvel films, giving subscribers an immediate reason to sign up. One industry review put it bluntly, noting that, Unlike Disney, Pixar and Marvel, Quibi did not boast any legacy catalog to fall back on.
There were also branding and product issues. Commentators have dissected everything from Quibi’s name to its decision to launch as a mobile-only app at a time when many viewers were stuck at home and wanted big-screen experiences. One widely viewed breakdown on YouTube described “quibby” as an “interesting case,” noting that plenty of people criticized the name even if the creator personally thought it was great, and used that as a jumping-off point to explore how the service failed to connect with audiences. That video, which examined Nov era decisions around Quibi’s branding and product design, has become a touchstone for understanding why the platform struggled to gain traction.
From China’s short dramas to Hollywood’s new experiments
Global trends are also shaping how Disney and Netflix think about short-form. In China, vertically shot, short scripted dramas have exploded in popularity, with episodes often capped at a maximum duration of three minutes and designed to be watched in quick bursts on phones. Analysts have suggested that this format, which blends serialized storytelling with snackable runtimes, offers a template for Western streamers looking to experiment without abandoning their narrative strengths. One commentary on the trend argued that China “reads the room” on mobile viewing, highlighting how Short form scripted video could be a natural fit for Netflix and Disney if adapted thoughtfully.
Western coverage has picked up on this idea, with some observers noting that Disney+ and Netflix are effectively reviving a failed streaming app’s short-form dream, but doing so inside established platforms that already have massive audiences. One analysis pointed out that this approach allows the companies to test everything from original shorts to AI-assisted clips without forcing users to download a new app or pay a separate fee. It also means that a single interface can host long films, episodic series, and quick vertical videos all in one unified app, a vision captured in reporting that described how Disney and Netflix are reimagining Quibi’s concept rather than resurrecting its business model.
The new short-form race, from CES stages to Roku’s archives
The short-form race is now playing out across multiple fronts. At CES, Disney used its stage presence to signal that vertical video is central to its future, with coverage describing how the company plans to bring Instagram-style short vertical videos into its app in ways that could take several forms, from quick character clips to interactive experiments. That framing, which highlighted the feature as a key announcement from Home Technology Tech News coverage of CES, underscored how seriously Disney is taking the format.
Meanwhile, the legacy of Quibi continues to ripple through the industry. Roku’s confirmation that it had secured exclusive global distribution rights to Quibi’s shows, including titles like Dummy and Murder House Flip, marked one of its biggest original programming moves to date and showed how short-form content can be repackaged inside broader services. The company’s statement, which noted that UPDATED details on the Roku deal included a stock uptick, signaled that investors see value in these libraries when they are part of a larger ecosystem. As Disney and Netflix roll out their own vertical feeds, they are effectively testing whether Quibi’s “quick bites” can finally find their place, not as a standalone product, but as one more format inside the streaming super-apps that now dominate home entertainment.
Why this time could be different
What sets the current wave of short-form experiments apart is that they are being layered onto services that already command huge audiences and deep catalogs. Disney can seed its vertical feed with decades of beloved characters and stories, while Netflix can mine its global slate of originals and licensed hits for moments that play well in a swipeable format. Analysts who once dismissed Quibi as a cautionary tale are now watching closely to see whether these incumbents can prove that the problem was not short-form video itself, but the decision to build an entire business around it from scratch. One detailed feature on the streaming landscape argued that Jan era moves by Disney and Netflix imply there are many ways short-form could be used inside a unified app, from marketing to storytelling.
There is also a broader cultural shift at work. Viewers who grew up with TikTok and Reels now expect every entertainment product to offer some kind of quick-hit experience, whether as a discovery tool or as content in its own right. By integrating vertical feeds, Disney and Netflix are acknowledging that expectation while trying to steer it toward their own ecosystems. The next few years will reveal whether their hybrid approach, blending long-form storytelling with short-form hooks, can succeed where Quibi failed. For now, the industry is watching as two of its biggest players turn a once-derided idea into a central pillar of their streaming strategies, effectively giving short-form scripted video the second chance it never got in its first, ill-fated incarnation.
More from Morning Overview