Paramount+ is taking a page out of TikTok’s book.
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Paramount Skydance’s flagship streamer is adding a short-form vertical video feed on its mobile app. The feature is currently live on its iOS app.
David Ellison’s company is getting into short-form video by repurposing snippets from shows, like “South Park” and “The Madison,” two people familiar with the project said.
“Right now, it’s just horizontal clips fitted into vert format,” one streaming employee said.
Paramount hopes short-form clips will help users discover new shows and movies, and increase engagement.
“We’re trying to drive visit frequency, keeping people engaged in the app longer,” a second person familiar with the initiative said.
Paramount streaming leadership has also brainstormed bringing user-generated content to Paramount+, which would make the streamer more like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. So-called UGC isn’t coming yet, though, two people familiar with the plan said.
“We’re not planning on rolling out any UGC for now,” the employee familiar with the project said. “We’re focusing on our content first.”
A third person familiar with Paramount’s short-form video initiative previously told Business Insider that UGC would be “cheap and brings eyes to Paramount.”
In mid-January, Paramount+ product and design head Dan Reich sent an email asking to discuss short-form clips with product chief Dane Glasgow, in hopes of fast-tracking the feature.
“We are trying to figure out how to jump-start efforts to get a million clips into our Short Form UX as quickly as possible,” Reich wrote.
Ellison, Paramount’s CEO, is the son of Larry Ellison, the billionaire who cofounded cloud giant Oracle — which is a major investor in the US version of TikTok. A person familiar with Paramount’s short-form feature said there’s no tie between this project and TikTok.
Leaning into interactive
Paramount streaming execs are also brainstorming interactive features, including one called “Shop the Scene,” Business Insider previously reported.
A person familiar with Paramount’s streaming plans said new interactive features are slated to arrive on Paramount+ in the coming months. They include stats for sports games, polling, and the shopping-focused “Shop the Scene” feature, this person said.
Hollywood has embraced short-form video as a way to improve engagement, given the popularity of TikTok, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts.
“When it comes to engagement, sheer hours are no longer enough — you need frequency,” Hernan Lopez, the founder of media research firm Owl & Co, previously told Business Insider. “To get frequency, you need mobile, and to win in mobile, you need vertical.”
Disney+ and Peacock both launched short-form vertical video feeds last month, and Netflix said it’s looking to do the same by the end of April. Disney had planned to use AI-generated clips before its partnership with OpenAI unraveled.
