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Vertical Video Is Taking Over CTV: Are Platforms Ready for the Shift?

Vertical Video Is Taking Over CTV: Are Platforms Ready for the Shift?
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March 27, 2026
The rise of vertical video has long been associated with mobile-first platforms. From social feeds to short-form apps, the format has defined how audiences consume content on smartphones. But that narrative is rapidly changing. Vertical video is no longer confined to mobile screens or short clips. It is evolving into a core content format across OTT platforms and Connected TV (CTV), powering everything from scrollable highlights and curated clips to extended-form viewing experiences. As audiences bring their consumption habits across devices, OTT platforms are being pushed to rethink how content is presented, discovered, and monetized. The shift is already underway.  The real question is: are CTV platforms equipped to handle a vertical-first content ecosystem?  

From Mobile-First to Format-Agnostic: The Evolution of Vertical Video

Vertical video did not succeed because it was innovative, it succeeded because it was intuitive. Users naturally hold their devices upright, and platforms adapted accordingly. Over time, this behavior reshaped expectations around speed, accessibility, and content discovery. Today, those expectations are no longer limited to mobile environments. Users moving between smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs expect:
  • Consistent content formats across devices
  • Seamless transitions between screens
  • Personalized, feed-driven discovery experiences
This has given rise to a broader category of vertical video content that goes beyond short-form:
  • Scrollable video feeds on OTT platforms
  • Highlight-based viewing for sports and news
  • Clip-driven discovery funnels
  • Episodic and extended vertical storytelling
Vertical video is no longer defined by duration, it is defined by how content is experienced.  

The Shift from Lean-Back Viewing to Interactive Discovery

Traditional television is built on a passive, lean-back experience. Users select content, press play, and consume it with minimal interaction. Vertical video introduces a fundamentally different model – active, continuous engagement. Even on Connected TV devices, users are beginning to expect:
  • Feed-like interfaces instead of static content grids
  • Quick navigation between videos
  • Instant playback without multiple clicks
This hybrid model, combining lean-back viewing with lean-forward interaction, is redefining OTT UX design. Instead of forcing users to search for content, platforms are enabling content discovery through motion. A single scroll can introduce users to multiple pieces of content, significantly increasing engagement and session duration. For OTT platforms, this represents a major opportunity to:
  • Improve content discoverability
  • Reduce drop-off rates
  • Drive deeper engagement across libraries
 

Scrollable Highlights and Clip-Based Viewing: A New Content Entry Point

One of the most important developments in vertical video is the rise of scrollable highlights and clip-based ecosystems. Audiences today are less inclined to commit to long-form content upfront. Instead, they prefer to explore content through shorter, more accessible entry points.   This is particularly evident across:
  • Sports streaming platforms, where users consume key moments and match highlights
  • News platforms, where quick updates and explainers dominate engagement
  • Entertainment platforms, where clips act as previews for longer content
  • Educational and lifestyle content, where concise insights drive retention
These formats serve as a gateway to long-form viewing. A user may begin with a short highlight, transition into a curated set of clips, and eventually engage with full-length content. This layered approach to content consumption is becoming central to OTT platform strategy. Vertical video, in this context, is not replacing long-form content, it is enhancing how users discover and engage with it.  

Why Vertical Video Works on Connected TV

At first glance, vertical video may seem incompatible with large-screen viewing. However, its effectiveness on CTV lies in how it complements existing formats rather than replacing them. Vertical video offers:

Focused Visual Engagement

By narrowing the frame, vertical video directs attention toward key subjects, making it ideal for highlights, interviews, and quick insights.

Continuous Content Flow

Unlike traditional TV interfaces, vertical feeds create a sense of progression. Users are encouraged to keep exploring, increasing watch time and engagement.

Personalized Viewing Experiences

Feed-based environments allow for real-time content recommendations, making vertical video highly compatible with AI-driven personalization. This combination makes vertical video particularly effective for content discovery and engagement on OTT platforms.  

The Infrastructure Gap: Why Most OTT Platforms Are Not Ready

Despite its growing importance, vertical video presents significant technical challenges for OTT and CTV ecosystems. Most existing platforms were designed for:
  • Horizontal video formats
  • Static navigation structures
  • Scheduled or on-demand viewing
Supporting vertical video at scale requires a fundamental shift in infrastructure.

Video Processing and Delivery

Platforms must support:
  • Multi-aspect ratio encoding (vertical and horizontal)
  • Adaptive bitrate streaming optimized for different formats
  • Efficient content storage and delivery pipelines

User Interface and Experience

CTV applications need to evolve toward:
  • Scrollable, feed-based layouts
  • Remote-friendly navigation for vertical browsing
  • Dynamic content loading

Cross-Device Integration

A seamless vertical video experience depends on:
  • Unified user profiles
  • Synchronized watch history
  • Consistent recommendation engines across devices
Without these capabilities, vertical video remains fragmented and underutilized.  

Monetizing Vertical Video in OTT and CTV Environments

The rise of vertical video is not just transforming how content is consumed, it is fundamentally reshaping digital advertising and monetization strategies across OTT and Connected TV platforms. Traditional CTV advertising has long relied on structured formats such as pre-roll and mid-roll ads, static placements, and impression-based measurement models. While effective in a lean-back environment, these approaches are less suited to the dynamic, feed-driven nature of vertical video. Vertical video introduces a more native, performance-oriented advertising ecosystem, where ads are integrated seamlessly into the viewing experience rather than interrupting it. This shift enables platforms to move beyond passive exposure and toward active engagement and measurable outcomes. One of the most effective formats emerging in this space is in-feed advertising, where ads are embedded directly within scrollable video streams. Because these ads appear as part of the content flow, they feel less intrusive and tend to deliver higher engagement rates. In addition, vertical environments unlock a new layer of interactive ad experiences, including:
  • Clickable overlays that drive immediate action
  • Shoppable video formats that connect content to commerce
  • Engagement-driven ad units designed for user interaction
These formats are particularly powerful in vertical feeds, where users are already in an active browsing mindset. Perhaps the most significant shift, however, is in how advertising effectiveness is measured. Vertical video aligns naturally with performance-driven advertising models, enabling:
  • More precise audience targeting
  • Real-time campaign optimization
  • Clear, measurable outcomes beyond traditional impressions
This evolution reflects a broader industry transition, one where success is no longer defined by reach alone, but by tangible results and user actions.  

AI-Powered Personalization: The Backbone of Vertical Video

Vertical video feeds rely heavily on AI and machine learning to deliver relevant content. Unlike traditional OTT platforms, where users actively choose what to watch, vertical feeds require platforms to anticipate user preferences. Key capabilities include:
  • Behavioral analysis and recommendation engines
  • Content tagging and categorization
  • Real-time feed optimization
  • Predictive engagement modeling
AI enables OTT platforms to create highly personalized viewing experiences, increasing both engagement and retention. Without intelligent recommendation systems, vertical video feeds quickly lose their effectiveness.  

How GIZMOTT Enables the Future of Vertical Video in CTV

As vertical video becomes a core part of OTT ecosystems, platforms need infrastructure that supports both flexibility and scale. GIZMOTT’s OTT and AdTech solutions are designed to enable:
  • Multi-format video delivery across mobile, web, and Connected TV
  • Advanced SSAI and DAI for seamless ad insertion
  • Programmatic advertising with real-time bidding capabilities
  • Data-driven analytics connecting content delivery to outcomes
By integrating these capabilities, platforms can move beyond traditional viewing models and embrace feed-based, performance-driven content ecosystems. Rather than treating vertical video as a separate feature, GIZMOTT enables a unified approach where all formats coexist within a single, scalable infrastructure.  

The Future of CTV Is Format-Fluid

Vertical video is not a passing trend, it reflects a broader shift in how audiences discover and engage with content across OTT and Connected TV platforms. We are moving toward a format-fluid content ecosystem, where the experience is no longer defined by fixed layouts or viewing patterns, but by user behavior. In this evolving model, content discovery is becoming more intuitive and continuous, with users engaging through dynamic, feed-driven interfaces rather than static menus. This shift is characterized by a few key changes:
  • Users increasingly discover content through scrollable feeds, not traditional navigation
  • Engagement is continuous and behavior-driven, rather than limited to single viewing sessions
  • Content experiences are personalized and adaptive, responding in real time to user preferences
Within this environment, vertical video plays a crucial role in shaping engagement. Short-form highlights act as entry points, clips guide users toward deeper exploration, and personalization engines ensure sustained retention. For OTT platforms, this means vertical video is no longer an experimental feature – it is becoming a core layer of the user experience. Platforms that recognize this shift and integrate vertical video as a foundational element, rather than an add-on, will be better positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic and user-driven streaming landscape.  

It’s Not About Format. It’s About Experience

Vertical video is redefining the OTT and CTV landscape. What began as a mobile-first format is now influencing how content is delivered, discovered, and monetized across all screens. For platforms, the challenge is not just adopting vertical video, but building the infrastructure, user experience, and monetization strategies required to support it at scale. Because the future of streaming is not about choosing between vertical and horizontal formats. It’s about creating seamless, personalized, and performance-driven content experiences – where format is simply a function of user behavior.
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