Disney Uses D23 Fan Fest to Map Its Streaming Future: Short-Form, TikTok, and Korean Content Going Global
Disney opened the first day of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim on 14 August with a clear message — the company is betting that shorter clips, creator partnerships, and local-language production will shape the next phase of its streaming business.
The three-day fan fest features more than 50 panels, immersive experiences, and what Disney describes as the largest show floor ever staged for the event, according to the official D23 site. It is also where the company brings its corporate strategy directly to the people who watch.
Two executives took the stage to lay out the thinking. Eric Schrier, Disney's president of Direct-to-Consumer International Originals, Strategic Programming and Emerging Media, and Erin Teague, executive VP of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, spoke on 14 August about how Disney+ is evolving beyond full-length series and films (Variety).
Schrier described what Disney calls its "Verts" push on Disney+ as a significant investment for the company. "Verts" refers to vertical media — short-form, portrait-oriented video of the kind that dominates platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. A panel on the topic was moderated by Jon Youshaei and featured Disney-centric creator Blake Silva as a panelist (Variety).
Teague was clear that Disney is not abandoning its traditional output. Long-form original content will never be replaced, she said, but it is being supplemented by shorter-form analysis and clips (Variety).
Disney also unveiled a pact with TikTok designed to encourage more fans to create clips using authorized Disney IP — meaning the company wants user-generated content built on characters and stories it controls, rather than clips pulled down for copyright violations (Variety).
The streaming strategy extends well beyond short-form video. Schrier and Carol Choi, who oversees Disney's international content team, previously discussed the company's approach to Korea with Deadline, citing a "local-for-local" model — producing shows in a given market primarily for audiences in that market, rather than exporting a US-made product (Deadline).
That approach now appears to be travelling. Speaking at D23, Disney executives praised Korean content as a model for local production and unveiled plans for UK, Mexico, and Spain versions of the hit show "Fate War" (Seoul Economic Daily).
For fans, the message from Anaheim is that Disney+ is becoming a place where a two-hour film, a six-episode drama, and a 30-second vertical clip are all meant to coexist — sourced from Anaheim, Seoul, and wherever Disney decides to set up its next local production hub.
D23 is also an awards stage. The Disney Legends Award Ceremony returns at this year's event to recognise creators and leaders who have shaped the company across generations. Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas — the Jonas Brothers — are among those being honoured as Disney Legends (D23).
Bobby Kim, Vice President and Global Creative Director for Disney Consumer Products, is also listed among the event's panelists (D23).
The fan fest runs through the weekend, with Disney using the platform to signal where its content engine — long-form, short-form, and everything in between — is heading next.
