Disney aims to capture a larger portion of the mobile video market: The entertainment powerhouse plans to launch a new vertical video feature on Disney+ within the next year, showcasing short-form content from its entertainment catalog, alongside news and sports coverage. This move into vertical video follows ESPN’s entry into the domain with “verts” in its ESPN app, essentially offering a fresh sports highlight format. The company revealed these product updates at a Consumer Electronics Show event in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “We want to bring the best elements that make our live offerings great—from ESPN to ABC News to Hulu Plus Live TV—into one cohesive platform, ” said Erin Teague, executive VP of product management, during the event streamed online. “We are also focusing on mobile-first experiences. Recognizing mobile as an incredible opportunity, our aim is to transform Disney+ into a true daily destination for fans, and that’s precisely our goal. ” “Over the next year, we will introduce vertical video experiences on Disney+—imagine all the short-form Disney content you want, consolidated into a single unified app, ” she added. “As time goes on, we will refine these experiences, exploring various formats, categories, and content types to create a dynamic feed tailored to your interests in sports, news, and entertainment, updated in real time based on your last visit. ” Besides the vertical video initiative, executives emphasized the role of technology and artificial intelligence during the presentation, highlighting AI-driven ad planning tools and, notably, an AI video generation tool designed to help advertisers swiftly create and launch CTV-ready ad spots. “This isn’t merely an AI model cutting a clip, ” explained Disney executive VO Tony Donohoe during a product demo. “The real innovation lies in the work we’re doing behind the scenes, combining Disney’s technical, creative, and operational expertise to build a capability with human oversight and imagination. We orchestrate multiple AI models working together in a single agentic workflow. “One model crafts the script and storyboards, another manages audio and music, while a third generates the video, all aligned with your vision for mood, tone, and style, incorporating your oversight alongside ours, while safeguarding intellectual property, adhering to guardrails and compliance, ” he elaborated.

“Moreover, to truly delight, we enable delivering the right creative to the right viewer at the right time. ” AI was a persistent theme throughout the presentation, occurring just weeks after Disney secured a landmark agreement to bring many of its characters and universes to OpenAI’s Sora platform, with plans to eventually integrate some of that user-driven content into Disney+. “To us, AI is both an accelerator and an amplifier, ” Teague said. “That’s why partnerships with companies like OpenAI are vital. We aspire to empower a new generation of fans who seek more interactive and immersive experiences, while still honoring human creativity and ensuring user safety. ” Teague also emphasized interactivity as crucial to engaging Gen Alpha. “They are the first AI-native generation, and notably, they don’t see stories as mere occurrences, ” she noted. “Instead, they expect agency—they want to interact with entertainment. Fans don’t just watch anymore; they react, research, and remix. A father and daughter aren’t just streaming a Marvel series; they pause to debate theories, look up backstories on their phones, and share clips with friends. ” Disney is committed to ensuring its products align with these evolving expectations.