The news: Disney+ launched Verts, a short-form video feed that could help boost engagement while enticing users to explore new content.

• Verts is available to subscribers in the US within the Disney+ mobile app and features clips from shows and movies within the Disney content library.
• The company said that new forms of content, including user-generated content (UGC) and personalized experiences, could be added in the future.

Zooming out: Disney’s Verts feed highlights its push to experiment with content discovery and new promotional formats, aligning with its broader deal with OpenAI as it looks for fresh ways to surface and extend the reach of its IP.

It could also help attract young audiences and increase time spent amid an intense streaming war, while also introducing Disney+ users to ESPN via sports clips.

• Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu accounted for just 4.9% of total streaming time in January, compared with YouTube’s 12.5% and Netflix’s 8.8%, per Nielsen.
• 79% of Gen Zers say adding a shorts feature to a streaming service would increase their weekly app usage, per Toluna.

Integrating short-form video is a tactic being adopted by other streamers as well as broader players in the media market, including Paramount, CNN, and LinkedIn.

Looking ahead: Adding UGC would let the company turn Disney+ into both a content distributor and a marketing engine. User activity could extend the life and monetization of its franchises while encouraging the development of fandoms, at no cost to the company.

The app addition also opens up opportunities for interactive content and second-screen experiences if users engage with short-form videos on the app while watching a show on Disney+ on connected TVs (CTVs).

However, adding short-form video to the mobile app without a CTV component—which companies like YouTube and Instagram have done—could be a missed opportunity for engagement.

Implications for brands: If Disney integrates UGC, it creates a closed-loop ecosystem where fan content drives discovery and strengthens franchise loyalty while keeping engagement—and IP value—on the platform.

• Short-form sports or entertainment clips could also offer contextual, moment-based ad placements, especially around live events and major title releases.
• Integrated shopping features tied to major franchises would give brands a clear path from discovery to conversion without relying on third-party platforms.