Disney Pushes Vertical Video, ESPN to Grow Disney+
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- Eric Schrier, Disney's president of Direct-to-Consumer International Originals, called the "Verts" vertical-media push on Disney+ a "significant investment," and pointed to a new TikTok pact letting fans create clips using authorized Disney IP.
- Erin Teague, executive VP of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, said short-form clips now supplement long-form originals, comparing supplemental commentary to what already exists around live sports: "the additional commentary and analysis around the game is just as interesting."
- ESPN reached 640 million digital and social users in June and operates 43 linear networks across 130-plus countries, available on Disney+ in more than 100 markets, according to ESPN's Freddy Rolón.
- Disney+ will unlock select college football games and "College GameDay" for non-bundle subscribers, using "the mascots, the pageantry, the tribal nature" to convert casual viewers into sports fans, per ESPN's Jo Fox.
- Disney's "local for local" strategy produces French shows for France and Korean dramas for Korea, with hits like "Tempest," "Perfect Crown" and "A Shop For Killers" rivaling or exceeding global originals in viewership, per APAC's Carol Choi and DTC's Joe Earley.
Why it matters: Disney's TikTok pact — letting fans remix its IP — marks a sharp reversal from its historical aggressive copyright enforcement, opening social-discovery funnels that could feed Disney+ viewership directly. Pairing that with unlocked college football and Korean originals traveling globally across 100-plus markets gives Disney a three-pronged churn-reduction bet: remixed clips, casual sports fans, and regional hits.
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