Disney+ Rolls Out Its Vertical Video Offering ‘Verts’ This Week in the US
Disney’s experiment with vertical video begins this week. Verts, a vertical video offering, will begin to appear on Disney+ this week in the U.S.
A new Verts icon will be available on the mobile version of Disney+. Once users select it, they will be able to scroll through through a stream of scenes from movies and shows that are on the platform. They will then be able to add those shows and movies to their Watchlist or jump directly into playback.
Which videos subscribers will see will be determined by Disney’s relatively new recommendation algorithm. Verts was used in early experiments on Disney+ and was part of the launch of the ESPN streaming service in August. In both instances, Verts drove additional engagement on its respective platform.
Though the offering only plays clips from other shows and movies right now, Disney+ plans for that to change in the future. As Verts evolve, the option will be used to add other storytelling formats, content types and personalized experiences to Disney+.
Vertical video on Disney+ was first announced back in January during Disney’s 2026 Global Tech & Data Showcase. And Disney isn’t the only company that’s investing more seriously into vertical video. Netflix added a vertical video feed to the mobile version of its homepage last March, and Peacock’s experiments with vertical video have been a valuable tool in driving overall engagement. Also, when Fox One launched last August, it included a vertical video feed.
Speaking of Fox, the larger corporation has been especially aggressive when it comes to verticals. Last October, Fox invested in Holywater, the vertical video company behind the microdrama platform My Drama.
All of these investments are a response to a larger trend. As vertical offerings like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and microdrama platforms are becoming more popular, entertainment and media giants have been experimenting with ways to capture the attention of those viewers.
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