Netflix won't "Become Like TikTok" — "Swipe to the Next One": The Reason Netflix is Expanding Vertical Videos

Netflix won't "Become Like TikTok" — "Swipe to the Next One": The Reason Netflix is Expanding Vertical Videos

2025年10月30日 01:11

1. What Happened—"Vertical Expansion, But Not Competing with TikTok"

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 held on October 28 (local time), Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone revealed the company's plan to expand its vertical video experiments for mobile. However, she clearly stated that they have no intention of competing with "short-form social networks like TikTok." This was confirmed by reports in TechCrunch and partner media, indicating that the move is not an entry into "short-form social networks," but rather an experiment to enhance the discovery experience of works. TechCrunch


This context follows the company's announcement in May 2025 that it would test a TikTok-like vertical feed on its mobile app. The design allows users to scroll through clips vertically and transition seamlessly to full-play, save, or share. Reuters


2. Background of "Discovery UX" Redesign

During the spring announcement, U.S. media described this vertical feed as a **"UI to shorten the path to works". Netflix has previously verified the efficacy of short clips with "Fast Laughs" (2021) and "Kids Clips"**, and this expansion is a step from "genre-limited experiments" to "cross-sectional pathways." The Verge


Simultaneously, they are introducing a major redesign of the TV app and **natural language search (AI search for iOS), indicating a consistent direction to "reduce friction until the next watch"**. Reuters


3. Nuance of the CTO's Statement—"Short-form Itself Is Not the Goal"

At the Disrupt appearance, Stone emphasized the **"moment concept that vertical is used at different times". That is, there are times to sit back and watch long-form content, and times when you want to view "snackable" clips while on the move. Netflix is exploring a combination of UI and content that can cater to both moments**, as reported by India's Storyboard18 and others, reiterating the stance of "not competing with TikTok." Storyboard18


Additionally, reports from Indian and tech media share the tone that the experiment will continue until 2026. It reflects a stance of accumulating A/B tests rather than rapidly productizing in the short term. Moneycontrol


4. The Rise of "Vertical Mini-Dramas" and Netflix's Stance

A common confusion is the relationship with the vertical mini-drama (short-form serial drama from apps) market. Recently, this area has grown rapidly, with dedicated apps surpassing Hulu's monthly active users, increasing their presence. However, Netflix has not explicitly expressed an intention to compete head-on with this. The primary focus of Netflix's vertical format is **"optimization of discovery and pathways,"** not standing on the same ground as UGC platform-type or vertical drama dedicated apps. The Washington Post


5. Business Impact—Advertising, Contracts, Production Workflow

① Advertising (AVOD)
The smoother the transition from "clip→full content," the higher the inventory value of ad-supported plans. The increase in dwell time as users "just scroll" becomes an opportunity for ad exposure. However, optimizing too much for SNS-like "infinite scroll" risks lowering the completion rate of full content. Here, the key is tuning recommendations, frequency limits, and full content guidance UI.


② Content Contracts and Rights
How far vertical clips can be reused affects talent contracts and copyrights. There may be a need to reorganize rights design, including excerpt time from full content, music rights, and country-specific rights.


③ Production Workflow
The trend of producing trailers/teasers with a "vertical-first" approach simultaneously will likely strengthen. As with YouTube Shorts and Reels, where **"the first 3 seconds of the hook"** are emphasized, specialist roles in clip editing will become relatively important.


6. Summary of Social Media Reactions—Welcoming and Caution Coexist

 


Social media reactions to this news are largely divided into those who **"welcome it because discovery becomes easier" and those who "caution against the platform's TikTok-ification."** Tech media's social posts quickly spread, with the main points converging on the following. X (formerly Twitter)


  • "This is not SNS-ification, but a UI for discovering works" camp: During the past "Fast Laughs" introduction, voices on Reddit prominently defended it as a **"mere discovery feature." This time too, posts supporting the use of **"scrolling during free time and saving→watching later"** can be seen. Reddit

  • "Dislike TikTok-ification" camp: Concerns about the addictiveness of vertical UI and fragmentation of viewing remain strong. There are also critical opinions about the very spread of vertical feeds across platforms. Reddit


Media narratives also convey Netflix's claim that "it is not copying TikTok," while some evaluate the strategic intent of creating **"snackable"** pathways. AV Club


7. Competitive Environment—"Feed-ification" as an Industry-Wide Challenge

The year 2025 is also when many major platforms turned to vertical "feed-ification." X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky are pushing video tabs and dedicated feeds, making the experience of **"finding by swiping"** increasingly standard. Netflix's attempt is positioned within this major trend. The Verge


8. How User Experience Will Change—Three Scenarios

Scenario A: Shortening Discovery Time
App launch→vertical scrolling clips→one-tap play becomes the shortest path. By reducing lost time (time spent wondering what to watch), an increase in viewing session numbers is expected. The Verge


Scenario B: Increase in Saving Behavior
Even if not watched on the spot, **immediate saving to "My List" increases, boosting follow-up viewing. This also contributes to ad inventory and recommendation accuracy**. The Verge


Scenario C: Progress in Clip Optimization
As part of editing, creating hooks specifically for vertical clips progresses. The tone and manner should not compromise the work's world view, and it becomes important to capture attention in the first few seconds.


9. Editorial Perspective—How to Ride the "Vertical Wave"

Balancing the shortest pathways × full content completion is key. Leaning too much into the **"swamp" of endless scrolling can damage full content viewing. Netflix's clear statement of "not competing with TikTok" also indicates an intention to balance pathway optimization and preserving full content value**. TechCrunch


Meanwhile, the growth of the vertical mini-drama market fosters a habit of completing stories in short form. Whether Netflix will eventually venture into original vertical experiments or focus on strengthening discovery for the time being—the balance of experiments until 2026 is a point of interest. The Washington Post


10. "Next Moves" to Watch

  • Regions and distribution ratios for test expansion (which countries and segments to expand from)

  • Clip optimization by genre such as Kids/Anime/Documentary

  • Measurement design in ad-supported plans (incremental ROAS of clip→full content)

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