Industry

Following the announcement of its landmark partnership with OpenAI and the integration of Disney IP into Sora, The Walt Disney Company is now signaling the next phase of its strategic evolution. Just weeks after confirming its role as Sora’s first major content licensing partner, Disney has revealed a broader platform shift aimed squarely at short-form, mobile-native consumption.
The new strategy was officially announced during the company’s Tech + Data Showcase at CES 2026, the industry’s most influential annual gathering. There, Disney confirmed that Disney+ will introduce short-form, vertical video content in the U.S. starting later in 2026, as part of a concerted effort to boost daily engagement and attract younger audiences.

The timing is not coincidental. The Sora partnership positions Disney at the forefront of generative AI–driven storytelling, enabling user-prompted short videos and images generated from a vast portfolio of Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters, environments and props. While the agreement carefully excludes talent likenesses and voices, it opens up controlled creative spaces for fans and signals Disney’s willingness to experiment with new forms of interaction around its IP.
The vertical video initiative represents the platform counterpart to that creative shift. Inspired by formats popularized by TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, the upcoming Disney+ vertical feed will deliver a personalized, scrollable experience featuring bite-sized clips across entertainment, sports and news. Crucially, Disney has emphasized that this feed is designed to complement — not replace — its long-form movies and series.

Erin Teague, Executive Vice President of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, described the approach as one that integrates vertical video in ways that feel native to user behavior, rather than as a bolt-on feature. According to Teague, the content mix may include original short-form productions, repurposed social clips, and selected scenes from existing TV shows and films, potentially enhanced through AI-generated media.

Until now, Disney+ has been firmly associated with premium, long-form scripted content and blockbuster franchises. The introduction of vertical video marks a significant repositioning: the goal is to transform the service into a “must-visit daily destination,” reflecting consumption patterns shaped by mobile-first social platforms.