Disney Plus embraces TikTok-style short-form video in battle for attention

Disney Plus is set to launch a TikTok-style vertical video feed this year, as platforms increasingly trial varied formats to capture elusive Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

The streaming platform said it will use short-form video to beef up its entertainment offering, potentially showcasing original programming alongside reworked scenes from longer shows or episodes.

Disney floated the change at CES in Las Vegas last week, with its EVP of Product Management Erin Teague later confirming to Deadline that “everything’s on the table” in terms of how the new vertical feed ultimately takes shape.

Disney has yet to confirm when the format update will roll out, but the move follows similar experimentation elsewhere at the company, most notably at ESPN. Last year, ESPN launched Verts, a personalised, swipeable vertical video feed inside its mobile app, designed to mirror TikTok’s quick-consumption model, as part of a broader push to engage younger audiences.

The company’s push into vertical video comes amid a growing convergence between TV broadcasters and social media platforms, with both sides increasingly borrowing each other’s formats and creator strategies.

Last month, Instagram revealed it would launch Reels on Amazon Fire devices in the US, while Netflix has made no secret of the fact that it views YouTube as its biggest competitor – framing social video as part of the same entertainment market, competing for the same finite attention on connected screens.

That shift has been particularly visible in sports. FIFA recently announced its World Cup partnership with TikTok, increasing creator access while stopping short of fully abandoning the traditional broadcast model.

Teague said Disney’s strategy shift is about meeting audiences where they already are, particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers who increasingly consume short-form video on their phones. 

While the company has not detailed how creators will be integrated, the shift could open up new avenues to distribute content within premium broadcasters, further blurring the line between traditional television and social media.

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