"Disney+ will add vertical videos to its service in the US sometime this year, in hopes that they can entice viewers to engage with its app every day. The company has made the announcement at its Tech + Data Showcase event at CES 2026. Disney first dabbled in vertical content with Verts, which launched for the ESPN app in August 2025, giving it the insight it needed on how its users respond to the video format."
"Erin Teague, Disney Entertainment's EVP of Product Management, told that the company will use the format for all kinds of content. The service isn't just planning to use it as a vehicle for movie and series teasers, but also for original short-form programming. She didn't say what kinds of original programming Disney+ will be adding as vertical videos to its app, but vertical micro-dramas have become incredibly popular over the past year."
""We're obviously thinking about integrating vertical video in ways that are native to core user behaviors," Teague said. "So, it won't be a kind of a disjointed, random experience." The company is targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha users, in particular, since they're not inclined to sit and watch long-form content on their phones for hours. Disney said in a statement that the experience will "evolve as it expands across news and entertainment" and will be personalized for users,"
Disney+ will add vertical videos in the US this year to increase daily app engagement. The vertical format will be applied across content types, including movie and series teasers and original short-form programming. An earlier experiment with Verts on the ESPN app in August 2025 provided insight into user responses to vertical video. Integration will be adapted to native user behaviors to avoid a disjointed experience. The service will prioritize Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers who prefer brief mobile viewing. The vertical experience will expand across news and entertainment and will be personalized to encourage daily visits and discovery.
Read at Engadget
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