Disney Admits Success Requires Looking More Like TikTok
Disney is finally admitting it needs to look like TikTok. During the company’s Tech & Data Showcase at CES 2026, the entertainment giant revealed that Disney+ will swallow the swipe-to-watch format whole, integrating a vertical video feed later this year. It is a pivot away from the prestige, long-form "event" viewing that defined the service’s early years and a calculated grab for the mobile minutes currently lost to social media.
The goal is to turn a destination app into a nervous habit. Disney wants users checking the app between meetings or while standing in line, not just on Friday nights for a premiere. Erin Teague, Disney’s EVP of product management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, described the objective as driving "habitual use." By offering a personalized, dynamic feed, Disney is trying to move Disney+ from an occasional luxury to a "must-visit daily destination."
Content Strategy: The Data Behind "Refashioned" Scenes
Streaming has long been a "lean-back" horizontal experience. Disney is flipping that—literally. While the feed will feature original vertical programming and social clips, the real interest lies in "refashioned" scenes from Disney’s massive library.
This isn't just a gimmick; it is a sophisticated data play. By slicing up legacy content from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar into bite-sized, swipeable moments, Disney can track exactly which five-second hooks go viral and which characters hold attention. This granular engagement data will likely inform future production choices, telling Disney which specific "vibes" or tropes are resonating with younger demographics before they even greenlight a new series.
The feed will also break the "entertainment-only" silo. Plans include integrating real-time news from ABC News and sports updates from ESPN, refreshed based on when the user last opened the app. It’s a move to leverage the full breadth of the Disney portfolio to keep the feed from feeling stagnant.
Scaling the "Verts" Experiment
Disney isn't flying blind. This expansion builds on "Verts," the vertical video feature integrated into the ESPN app in August 2024. The success of that rollout proved that even traditional sports fans have an appetite for snackable, swipeable highlights.
Disney is now scaling that engagement model to its broader entertainment ecosystem. The rollout will be phased, starting in the United States. Expect the experience to iterate rapidly. As Disney watches how subscribers interact with the feed, the format will likely shift from simple clips to more interactive, shoppable, or gamified content.
The AI Revenue Model
This pivot serves the unit economics as much as the user experience. A daily user base is a goldmine for advertisers, and Disney is lowering the barrier to entry with new AI-powered tools.
The company unveiled a proprietary AI video generation tool designed to help brands scale their creative efforts without the traditional overhead of a full-scale production. This tool—built on Disney’s internal tech stack to ensure brand safety and quality—allows advertisers to take existing assets and automatically refashion them into commercials optimized for connected TV (CTV) and the new vertical feed.
By merging a high-velocity vertical feed with automated ad-planning, Disney is positioning Disney+ to steal ad dollars directly from social media platforms. As the service integrates more closely with Hulu, this move toward personalized, short-form content is Disney’s clearest attempt yet to dominate the mobile screen and secure a permanent spot in the user's daily digital routine.