A sign of the times? Disney, Netflix and now Amazon Prime lean into short-form video

The boundaries between streaming platforms and social media appear to be converging, as major streamers lean into vertical video to capture attention-strapped viewers.

Amazon has revealed it will add a TikTok-style short-form video feed to the Prime Video app, as it seeks to improve content discovery and reach mobile-first audiences.

Clips – a scrollable, short-form video feed – was first launched with NBA highlights on the NBA collection page during the 2025-26 season and will now expand to include moments from movies and series across the Prime Video experience.

"Whether they have a few minutes to scroll or are looking for something to watch when they have more time, entertainment is just a tap away," said Brian Griffin, director of global application experiences at Prime Video.

The move makes Amazon the latest streamer to adopt the model more broadly, following similar moves from Disney and Netflix.

In April, Netflix rolled out its own clips offering, describing it as an "easy way to go deeper when something grabs your attention." Disney+, meanwhile, launched Verts in March – a mobile feed featuring scenes and moments from movies and TV shows on the platform – having foreshadowed the move in January.

In his first earnings call as Disney chief executive last week, Josh D'Amaro praised Verts, saying it is "already driving deeper engagement" with the company's IP, while cautioning that the product is still early in its development.

A sign of the times?

For platforms that have long positioned themselves as premium alternatives to social media, the shift is significant. Streamers are increasingly meeting viewers where they already are, particularly younger audiences who discover and consume entertainment through short-form video.

Netflix has framed the redesign around mobile viewing habits, describing it as built for moments like "commuting," "waiting for your next flight," or short breaks during the day.

The convergence is also running in both directions. As streamers adopt short-form formats, platforms built on short-form video are moving further into scripted entertainment.

Issa Rae's micro-drama series Screen Time, produced through her company Hoorae in partnership with TikTok, surpassed 100 million views within a week of launching on the platform, one of the clearest signs yet that short-form scripted content is finding its footing with western audiences.

The overlap is extending beyond format alone. Disney has also started bringing external creators into its ecosystem through Creator Collection, which features licensed content from YouTube creators on Disney+ and Hulu curated around franchise releases. D'Amaro said Disney plans to expand the initiative in the months ahead.

The distinction between streamers and social platforms is becoming harder to draw. The question now is whether platforms built around long-form storytelling can keep audiences engaged without starting to resemble the apps they once positioned themselves against.