Streaming’s short-form shift is about more than Gen Z
Within days of each other, Disney and HBO Max made major moves to bring TikTok-style video deeper into their streaming services.
Disney’s new deal with TikTok gives approved creators material from hundreds of films and series. Selected videos will appear in Verts, the short-video feed inside Disney+. Meanwhile, HBO Max is building a similar feed from its own library, with AI finding possible scenes and human editors choosing what viewers see.
It’s easy to read these moves as a defensive attempt to keep younger viewers from drifting to social platforms. The headline writes itself: Hollywood has finally discovered TikTok. But that leaves out what the feeds are meant to do inside streamers, which is help people find shows and movies while keeping studios in control of how their work is used.
Communications teams need to explain both. Otherwise, a carefully managed part of the streaming service will look like just another attempt to keep up with Gen Z.
Discovery needs structure
The internet is not exactly suffering from a shortage of short videos. To justify adding yet another feed, streamers need to make clear that the feature has a useful, lasting place in the service.
That role starts with a problem streamers have never quite solved: helping people decide what to watch. They have spent billions building enormous catalogs, but choosing from them can feel like standing in front of an overstuffed refrigerator—plenty of options and no idea what you want.
A short clip can offer a quick taste of a show, with the full episode one tap away if it appeals. And because the feed keeps changing, it also gives subscribers a reason to open the app when they feel like watching something but don’t have anything particular in mind.
Under the Disney deal, approved TikTok creators can use material from the company’s catalog, and Disney may select some of the resulting videos for TikTok or Verts. The arrangement is tightly controlled, with Disney deciding who participates, what material they can use and which videos appear inside Disney+. In return, fan-made clips and can direct viewers to full titles, including older films and series that might otherwise remain buried in the catalog.
HBO Max is taking a similar approach with its own library. AI combs through shows and movies for scenes that might stop someone mid-scroll, then human editors decide what makes the cut. The feed is personalized, so if a clip catches your attention, you can start watching the show or movie it came from.
That next step is what makes these feeds useful: a few seconds of attention can turn into a full watch. Streamers also have more reason to keep working with creators and the people who own the material. Over time, those relationships can influence which projects get made and how they reach audiences.
The rules shape the experience
But the relationships only work when studios and creators know how their work will be used. After spending years protecting these characters and stories, the people who own the rights will want to know where each clip came from and who approved it.
Disney limits creators to approved material, while HBO Max gives human editors the final say. Those rules keep the feeds from becoming an anything-goes collection of clips and connect each video to the show or movie behind it.
Companies pitching similar tools should expect even a flashy demo to raise practical questions: Who cleared the footage? Can an editor change it? Does the clip lead viewers back to the title? How a company answers will show whether it understands how entertainment is made and can be trusted with the work.
Show how the pieces work together
Companies should answer those practical questions when they introduce the feature. Start with the viewer’s experience: a clip catches your eye, one tap opens the show or movie and a changing feed gives you something new to browse the next time you open the app.
The people behind the work need other details. Creators should know what material they can use and where their videos may appear. Reporters and studio leaders will want to understand how clips are selected and licensed, including whether participation is optional.
The explanation may change depending on who is listening, but the main point should remain clear. These feeds can help viewers find something worth watching in a huge catalog, while clear rules and human editors keep the clips tied to the work they came from.
More streamers will add short-video feeds, making each new launch easier to dismiss as another TikTok imitation. Companies need to explain how their feed helps viewers and who remains in control of the material. Otherwise, “Hollywood tries to stay relevant” will remain the headline.
