Disney+ has started rolling out Verts, a short-form video feed, to its U.S. users on the mobile app, aiming to boost daily engagement and reach mobile-first viewers across its catalog.
The feature is designed to provide a fast way to explore Disney+’s vast content library and presents storytelling in a mobile-friendly format. According to Disney, Verts brings the company’s storytelling into a format that feels modern and engaging, making it easier for fans to discover what to watch next.
Users can access Verts through a new icon in the app’s navigation bar, allowing them to swipe through clips, add shows to their watchlist, or jump directly into content. This new feed is part of Disney+’s efforts to enhance user experience and encourage more engagement with its content.
Disney stated that Verts will eventually feature content from creators that reflects various fandoms and will include other storytelling formats, content types, and personalized experiences. This suggests a broader strategy to diversify and enrich the content available through the Verts feed.
Early testing of Verts in August on both Disney+ and ESPN showed promising results, with the feature driving additional engagement. Disney attributed this increased engagement to its advanced recommendation algorithm for Verts, highlighting the effectiveness of its technology in suggesting relevant content to users.
The introduction of Verts by Disney+ follows a similar move by Netflix, which launched a vertical feed last year. This feed allows Netflix users to scroll through clips from its original titles, targeting younger, mobile-first users with short-form video to convert interest in clips into full watches. Both Disney+ and Netflix are employing this strategy to capture the attention of a younger demographic that prefers consuming content on mobile devices.
