The news: Vertical video, made viral by apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, is now transcending mobile devices and growing into larger connected TV (CTV) ecosystems with streaming providers leaning into short-form content, per The Current.

Disney+ and Netflix are now testing vertical video feeds as a menu-engagement interface where users swipe through short clips to discover new shows.

“Netflix is preparing to shift its mobile experience to center on vertical video and short-form content, as it adapts to viewing habits increasingly shaped by other social platforms,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters told Peta Pixel.

• Disney+ launched Verts in March to US-based subscribers within its mobile app to entice Gen Z users. Verts showcases clips from shows and movies within the Disney content library.
• Since 2025, Netflix has been testing a broader vertical video feed in its mobile app, described as similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels, populated with short clips from movies and series tuned to viewing tastes.
• Similarly, Peacock and Tubi now feature a swipeable vertical feed of clips from its shows, movies, news, and sports.

Why it’s worth watching: The trend is a response to younger audiences weaned on vertical video and attempts to use it as a gateway to longer content. It is low risk and repurposes existing catalogs. For ad-supported tiers, higher engagement drives more ad revenue.

US marketers rank vertical video ads well behind CTV and short-form social video. Only 12.8% call vertical video “very effective” versus 31.2% for CTV and 30.7% for short-form social. Vertical video’s “very ineffective” score (2.3%) matches CTV, but its neutral zone is large at 28%, per Smartly.

But while it trails as an ad format, streamers are starting to treat vertical feeds as a menu, not the main course. For marketers, this reinvents vertical video’s job. Not to drive an immediate sale or sign-up, but as a discovery gateway in the following ways:

• Vertical feeds lower friction for browsing new content.
• Clips repurpose existing IP libraries at near-zero cost.
• Higher swipe engagement fuels ad-supported tier performance.

Implications for marketers: Vertical video is no longer just a mobile social format. It is becoming the primary discovery interface inside premium streaming apps and a jump-off point to CTV engagement.

Marketers who treat vertical video as a direct-response channel will misread its value. Those who use it as a top-of-funnel engagement tool will gain an edge. As streamers build vertical menus, brands can own categories or genres within those feeds. 

A good example is Peacock's AI‑cropped NBA games and highlight feeds as a persistent destination in the app’s bottom navigation, unlocking league and category sponsorships (bank, beverage, quick‑serve, etc.) to badge and own the “Courtside Live” vertical.