Disney+ is set to introduce a vertical video feed in the United States later this year, marking the streaming service’s latest push into short-form, mobile-first content.
The development follows the launch of ESPN Unlimited’s Verts last year, which offers swipe-able, personalised short-form videos designed for mobile viewing. It also comes ahead of the planned combined Disney+-Hulu app experience, which is expected to roll out later this year.
The new feed will aim to surface content tailored to individual viewing habits. Speaking at the company’s Tech & Data Showcase at CES on Wednesday, Disney executive vice president of product management Erin Teague outlined how the feature is expected to develop over time.
“Over time, we’ll evolve the experience as we explore applications for a variety of formats, categories, and content types for a dynamic feed of just what you’re interested in refreshed, in real time, based on your last visit,” she said.
Alongside the vertical video feed, Disney announced a number of new tools focused on advertising and media planning. One of these is a video generation tool for advertisers, which will allow brands to create connected TV-ready commercials using their existing brand assets and guidelines. Disney is also rolling out an AI-powered internal planning tool aimed at improving campaign strategy and outcomes.
The asset review and media planning tools are already being used by Disney teams, while the video generation tool is expected to enter beta testing with selected clients in the coming months.
Disney Advertising Addressable Sales senior vice president Jamie Power said the new tools are intended to complement, rather than replace, agency work. “This isn’t about replacing the incredible work creative agencies do. It’s about rethinking what’s possible. “It gives our creative partners a new way to scale their ideas, using data and audience signals to shape where we take the work next, and how we bring those experiences to market,” he said. “These are tools and technology we’re bringing to you because we believe they solve actual problems and drive actual value for you.”
Disney Advertising’s Compass platform, which already supports brand campaigns across the U.S. and Latin America, will also introduce a new brand portal. The Europe, Middle East and Africa region is set to follow. The portal will provide advertisers with a single view of performance across campaigns and platforms, alongside category benchmarks and AI-powered summaries highlighting insights and opportunities.
At launch, the portal will connect to measurement, data and outcomes partners including Affinity Solutions, CINT, EDO, Innovid and VideoAmp. Disney Advertising also announced the introduction of a Brand Impact Metric, designed to offer advertisers a single view of campaign effectiveness by combining factors such as attention, reach, brand health and search performance.
