Streaming services are borrowing one of TikTok’s most familiar mechanics: the endless swipe. But the goal is not to replace television with short videos. It is to make a streaming app easier to open, browse, and return to when the viewer only has a minute. The Verge’s cross-platform review shows how widespread that bet has become, and how little evidence exists that it is working as a retention strategy.
The feed is becoming the front door
Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Netflix, and HBO Max have all introduced or tested swipeable short-video experiences in their mobile apps. Disney’s Verts feed launched in March and lets users move through scenes, save titles, or jump directly into a movie or show. By October, Disney said 43 percent of Disney Plus mobile users had interacted with it.
That is meaningful usage, but it is not the same as proving business value. Disney has not said whether Verts increases viewing or reduces cancellations. The feed accounted for 65 percent of user-initiated short-form video starts in the ESPN app, where highlights have a more obvious job to do. A clip from last night’s game can satisfy a fan who has no time for the full match.
The entertainment services are trying to create a similar habit around scripted shows. Paramount Plus added a clips feed in April. HBO Max began testing Shorts with some US iPhone users in July, with a direct jump from a clip into a movie or series. Netflix made Clips a centerpiece of its mobile redesign and plans themed feeds in 2027, while still describing short-form video as an early experiment rather than the core of its business.
Discovery is easier than retention
The problem is that streaming platforms are copying the browsing layer without copying the supply of culture that keeps social video alive. TikTok and YouTube do not depend only on clips from a library. They have creators reacting to, remixing, and extending the content every day, a pattern also reflected in TikTok’s expanding interaction formats.
That difference matters. A scene inside a streaming app is usually a pitch for the full episode. On TikTok or YouTube, a creator’s reaction to that episode can be the reason to open the app in the first place, even when the show is between seasons. Disney is testing that distinction by bringing opt-in creator clips from TikTok into Verts, while Paramount has explored user-generated video for a possible free tier.
The commercial case is also unsettled. Nielsen data cited by The Verge put YouTube at a record 15.8 percent of US television viewing in August, while analyst Ross Benes said short mobile clips generally offer weaker advertising economics than television viewing. The more realistic role for these feeds may be browsing on a phone while the television is already on, not replacing the main viewing session.
For now, streaming services are not becoming TikTok. They are borrowing TikTok’s strongest product lesson: discovery can be a reason to return. The strategic test is whether those clips lead people into more viewing and keep subscriptions alive, or simply give them another feed to scroll past.