Disney+ is borrowing a familiar idea from TikTok and Instagram Reels by adding short-form video to its platform in the U.S. later this year. The update was announced during Disney’s Tech + Data Showcase at CES 2026 and signals a clear shift in how the company wants people to use Disney+, not just as a place to watch shows, but as something you open every day.
The new feature will introduce a dedicated feed of short clips made up of original content, curated social-style videos, and bite-sized moments pulled from Disney’s TV shows and movies. According to Erin Teague, Disney’s EVP of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, the experience is being designed to feel natural and native to how users already scroll and discover content on their phones.
This isn’t Disney’s first experiment with vertical video, though. In 2025, the company tested personalized short-form feeds inside the ESPN app, focused on sports highlights and updates. That trial appears to have worked well enough for Disney to expand the idea beyond sports and into its main entertainment platform.
Oluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho
The timing makes sense. Younger viewers are increasingly drawn to fast, snackable content rather than committing immediately to full-length episodes or movies. Short-form feeds lower the barrier to entry. You don’t have to decide what to watch. You just scroll.
Disney is also not alone here. Netflix introduced its own vertical discovery feed last year, letting users swipe through clips from its originals. Where Disney+ is trying to differentiate itself is through heavier personalization and by blending entertainment clips with franchise updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and highlights designed to keep users checking in daily.
The bigger play is likely engagement. Short-form video turns a streaming app into something closer to a social feed, where discovery happens passively and time spent increases without the pressure of choosing a full title. If it works, Disney+ stops being an app you open when a new episode drops and becomes one you casually browse throughout the day.
The Takeaway
Disney+ adding short-form video is a sign of how much streaming habits have changed. Long-form content is still the core product, but it’s no longer enough on its own. Platforms now have to compete for attention in the same way social apps do.
For viewers, this means quicker ways to interact with Disney’s worlds, from Marvel to Star Wars, in a mobile-friendly format. For the industry, it reinforces a growing reality: vertical, short-form video is no longer just a social media feature. It’s becoming standard across entertainment platforms.
Disney is betting that if people scroll Disney+ the way they scroll TikTok, they’ll open the app far more often. If that bet pays off, it could quietly reshape what a streaming service is supposed to be.
Emmanuel Umahi
