Disney Plus Vertical Video Feed: CES 2026 News & Mobile Gear Guide
Disney Plus unveils a new vertical video feed at CES 2026. Discover how this short-form content strategy impacts mobile viewing and the best gear to watch it.
By Team Gimmie
Updated August 27, 2026
The Mouse Goes Vertical: Disney's Big CES 2026 Reveal
It seems like everywhere you look these days, there is a vertical video feed. TikTok pioneered the format, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts refined the algorithm, and now, Disney Plus is officially throwing its hat into the ring. At the recent CES 2026 Global Tech and Data Showcase, Disney announced that a dedicated vertical video feed is coming to the platform later this year.
Now, I have seen my fair share of product shifts and feature additions over the years, and my initial reaction to this news was a bit of a raised eyebrow. Disney Plus? The home of epic sagas, timeless animations, and high-budget series? It feels a bit like finding a novelty TikTok dance in the middle of the Sistine Chapel. But as I dug into the details of the announcement, I started to see the potential strategy behind it. I am cautiously optimistic, provided they treat their catalog with the respect it deserves.
Erin Teague, Disney's EVP of product management, clarified that this new feed is not just a graveyard for recycled trailers. It is intended to be a unified destination for short-form Disney magic. This could include a mix of original short-form programming, repurposed social clips, and condensed scenes from their longer-form titles. Imagine getting a daily dose of Star Wars via bite-sized clips or catching up on animated shorts you might have otherwise scrolled past. It is an interesting proposition for those moments when you have ten minutes between meetings but do not have the mental bandwidth to commit to a full hour of prestige television.
From Binge-Watching to Bite-Sized Content
The real value here lies in how Disney leverages its behind-the-scenes assets. During the CES presentation, there was a heavy emphasis on original short-form content. To make this work, Disney needs to go beyond just cropping existing movies. Imagine a vertical, high-definition look at the ILM StageCraft set—the famous Volume—where you can see the technology behind The Mandalorian in a 9:16 format. Or perhaps a series of one-minute character deep-dives that use isolated footage to explain Marvel lore to casual fans.
This shift is about meeting viewers where they already are: on their phones. In a world where attention spans are under constant pressure, Disney is trying to bridge the gap between social media habits and premium streaming. If they can provide high-production value snippets that feel native to the vertical format, they might just solve the discoverability problem that plagues massive libraries. It is a way to snack on content that eventually leads you back to the full-length feature.
