Beginning today, ABC News app users can discover breaking news, continuing coverage, analysis of the top headlines, and more through Verts, marking the first phase of vertical video coming to the platform. This new dynamic feed on the ABC News app delivers the latest and most essential news for users, and it’s just the start of an ongoing evolution for Verts for America’s #1 news organization.
Here’s what users can look forward to next as part of this new, mobile-first experience:
What is Verts on ABC News?
First announced at Disney’s 2026 Global Tech & Data Showcase, vertical video across Disney’s core products gives viewers a new way to get up-to-date, straightforward context and analysis of top stories throughout the day, with just a swipe of the screen.
Now available on the ABC News app, the new Verts icon in the bottom navigation bar has a vertical video feed featuring news reports sourced from across ABC News’s linear, streaming, and ABC Owned Television programming, along with original content from ABC News anchors, correspondents, analysts, and featured voices.
Verts gives audiences fast, factual news in a new, interactive way the moment they open the ABC News app, delivering timely updates in a format built for how viewers already enjoy discovering video on mobile.
What kind of user engagement is Disney’s Product team seeing with Verts to date?
First introduced on ESPN in August 2025, Verts has become the primary driver of short-form video consumption for the no. 1 sports app. In total, more than 26 million users have used Verts on mobile devices, producing over 1.8 billion minutes of time spent in the ESPN App. It now drives 65% of user-initiated short-form video starts, surpassing ESPN’s legacy video player. Additionally, on Disney+, we’re seeing meaningful increases in engagement depth: approximately 43% of mobile Disney+ users have already interacted with Verts.
What’s next for Verts on ABC News?
This launch is just the beginning. Soon, viewers will also be able to see Verts on ABCNews.com across mobile and web. What audiences see today on Verts was built with user utility, personalization, and scale in mind, and the team is already exploring ways to expand far beyond the news of the day.
Over time, Verts will play a key role in viewers’ everyday experience on the ABC News app. At launch, that means driving viewers to dive deeper into stories across ABC News’ linear, streaming, and digital portfolio. Looking ahead, the team plans to further customize the viewing experience, adding more correspondent content, additional formats, and new content types to create an even more unique and personalized experience for each user.
