Netflix CTO says more vertical video experiments are coming, but streamer is not competing with TikTok

Netflix is looking to vertical video arsenic a mode to experimentation with caller contented types, said CTO Elizabeth Stone, speaking astatine the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 league connected Tuesday. The exec noted the institution didn’t privation to vie straight with apps similar TikTok oregon different short-form play apps, but did admit determination are much ways that Netflix tin instrumentality vantage of the mobile platform.

In effect to a question astir the competitory scenery connected mobile, Stone agreed determination are times erstwhile consumers are looking for thing Netflix offers, similar a TV show, movie, oregon game, but determination are different times they privation “something much snackable.”

In these moments, Netflix needs to beryllium capable to connection “a broader assortment of content,” she said.

“We’re investigating a vertical video provender connected mobile devices that starts to reimagine what mobile is, and benignant of meets consumers wherever they are present and however they’re utilizing mobile today.”

That feed, announced earlier this year arsenic a test, allows members to scroll done clips of its archetypal titles. The extremity is to promote Netflix users to beryllium inspired to ticker the amusement oregon movie.

However, the institution whitethorn person bigger plans for however that provender tin beryllium utilized, Stone’s comments suggested.

The exec pointed to Moments, a video clipping diagnostic in the Netflix app that lets users clip and stock their favourite scenes from a amusement oregon movie.

There’s imaginable for seeding those abbreviated clips into the vertical video feed, but Stone didn’t straight corroborate this plan. Instead, she said much vaguely the institution would experimentation with “different types of content” that could beryllium successful the vertical feed, arsenic good arsenic “different ways to clip and stock content.”

“We’ve been innovating connected Moments, which allows benignant of a societal transportation to immoderate of the contented by allowing a subordinate to instrumentality a clip and stock it with their networks,” she said. adding that the diagnostic is simply a benignant of short-form experience.

“But [Netflix” is not intending to transcript oregon pursuit precisely what a TikTok oregon others are doing due to the fact that we deliberation that there’s a definite benignant of amusement — oregon infinitesimal of information — that’s particularly invaluable to our members, and we truly privation to beryllium focused there, versus trying to beryllium each things astatine each moment, which I don’t deliberation needs to beryllium a halfway portion of the strategy,” Stone added.

Another experimentation involves podcasts, acknowledgment to Netflix’s recent woody with Spotify to administer podcasts connected its platform.

“We’ll usage immoderate of these caller canvases we have, similar vertical video, to commencement to experimentation with caller contented types — and that includes thing we announced much recently, which is podcasts,” Stone added, noting that immoderate podcast contented would beryllium co-exclusive crossed Netflix and Spotify and would travel to beingness connected some mobile and TV.

The exec said users volition spot these experiments volition beryllium retired successful the adjacent fewer quarters and passim 2026.