After testing the interests of sports fans with short-form content, Disney aims to bring short bursts to a wider audience.
The company announced Wednesday at CES that it aims to bring so-called “microcontent” to Disney+ in 2026. In doing so, it joins a parade of traditional media providers eager to appeal to younger consumers, where Tik Tok, Reels and other entertainment endeavors have faded.
Disney first bet on short attention span theater with “BARTs,” short video snippets that could include key game moments or snippets of commentary and analysis from various sports luminaries, placed on the new ESPN streaming app. Fans will have more control by scrolling and swiping through their feed, and videos will be tailored to the user’s individual interests.
Disney has signaled its intention to expand its use of short-form videos in both news and entertainment, betting that such features will make Disney+ a daily destination for users who want to stay up to date on their favorite content areas. Some interesting experiments have already been carried out. In 2025, ABC News launched a daily short series called “What You Need to Know” for Disney+, hosted by Rachel Scott or James Longman during weekdays.
Others are seeking similar involvement. Procter & Gamble, one of America’s largest advertisers, will launch a 50-episode microsoap, The Golden Pear Affair, this month that will be available first via social media and later on a bespoke mobile app. Proponents of the new program say the idea is to reach people who are used to swiping through content on their phones, rather than those who sit still and passively pass out in front of a traditional screen. Spanish-language giant Televisa Univision is luring advertisers into a growing series of mysterious “microdramas” that mimic many elements of its popular TV novels. The company recently collaborated with Dentsu advertising agency to create a bespoke Spanish-language microdrama for retailer JC Penney.
Disney also approached Madison Avenue on Wednesday to unveil a “brand portal” that allows clients to measure the impact of advertising campaigns on Disney properties using data from Affinity Solutions, CINT, EDO, Innovid and VideoAmp. “We use data and measurement to guide our strategy and help advertisers move smarter and faster to achieve their goals,” Dana McGraw, Disney’s senior vice president of data and measurement science, said in a statement. The company also announced new “impact metrics” that provide insights into goals such as consumer attention, reach, brand health, searches, and actions consumers take after seeing a commercial.
