Netflix is looking at vertical video as a way to experiment with new types of content, CTO Elizabeth Stone said, speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference on Tuesday. The executive noted that the company did not want to compete directly with apps like TikTok or other small-format entertainment apps, but acknowledged that there are more ways Netflix can take advantage of the mobile platform.
Asked about the competitive mobile landscape, Stone agreed that there are times consumers are looking for something Netflix offers, such as a TV show, movie or game, but there are other times they want “something more snackable.”
In those moments, Netflix needs to be able to offer “a wider variety of content,” he said.
“We’re piloting a vertical video stream on mobile that starts to rethink what mobile is and meet consumers where they are now and how they’re using mobile today.”
This stream, announced earlier this year as a test, allows members to scroll through clips of its original titles. The goal is to encourage Netflix users to be inspired to watch the show or movie.
However, the company may have bigger plans for how that power can be used, Stone’s comments suggest.
The exec pointed to Moments, a video clipping feature in the Netflix app that lets users clip and share their favorite scenes from a show or movie.
There is a possibility that these short clips will be placed in the vertical video stream, but Stone did not directly confirm this plan. Instead, he said more vaguely that the company would experiment with “different types of content” that could be in the vertical stream, as well as “different ways of slicing and sharing content.”
“We’ve innovated Moments, which allows for a social connection to some of the content, allowing a member to take a clip and share it with their networks,” he said, adding that the feature is a type of short-form experience.
“But [Netflix] “We don’t intend to copy or chase exactly what a TikTok or others are doing because we think there’s a certain type of entertainment — or moment of truth — that’s particularly valuable to our members, and we really want to be focused there, rather than trying to be all things at every moment, which I don’t think needs to be a core part of the strategy,” Stone added.
Another experiment involves podcasts, thanks to Netflix’s recent deal with Spotify to distribute podcasts on its platform.
“We’re going to use some of these new canvases that we have, like vertical video, to start experimenting with new types of content — and that includes something we announced more recently, podcasts,” Stone added, noting that some podcast content will be co-exclusive to Netflix and Spotify and come to life on both mobile and TV.
The exec said users will see these experiments in the coming quarters and throughout 2026.
