HBO Max Tests Vertical Video with ‘Shorts’

It’s official: HBO Max is finally giving in to the way we actually hold our phones. The streaming giant announced plans to launch a new vertical-video initiative called “HBO Max Shorts,” a collection of original content designed to be watched in portrait mode. Think of it as HBO finally admitting that sometimes you’re watching Succession on a bus, one-handed, while holding a coffee.

The move is a fascinating - and frankly, overdue - play for the attention of a generation that has been raised on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. HBO Max is dipping its toe into the vertical-video pool, and while it’s not diving headfirst, the splash is real. The service will release a slate of short-form, mobile-first programming that will live exclusively on the HBO Max app, designed to be consumed in quick bursts, no landscape rotation required.

But before you panic and imagine Kendall Roy delivering a quarterly earnings report in a 60-second vertical video, don’t worry - this isn’t about chopping up prestige dramas into snackable clips. Instead, HBO Max Shorts will feature original, standalone shorts created specifically for the vertical frame. Think comedy sketches, behind-the-scenes mini-docs, quick-hit interviews with talent, and experimental storytelling from emerging filmmakers. The goal, according to insiders, is to meet audiences where they already are: scrolling, swiping, and often distracted.

Why Vertical Video Now?

For years, the entertainment industry treated vertical video like a weird cousin nobody invited to dinner. Directors and cinematographers have long argued that the horizontal frame is the only proper canvas for cinematic storytelling. And they’re not wrong - you can’t capture the sweeping landscapes of House of the Dragon in a skinny rectangle. But the reality is that mobile viewing has exploded. More people watch video on their phones than on TVs. And they’re holding those phones vertically. To ignore that is to ignore how a huge chunk of your audience actually consumes content.

HBO Max is hardly the first to wade into these waters. Snapchat pioneered vertical storytelling with its Discover shows. Netflix experimented with vertical trailers and even a few original series designed for mobile. Quibi famously tried - and spectacularly failed - to build an entire streaming service around vertical, short-form content. But Quibi’s mistake wasn’t the format; it was the execution, the pricing, and the timing. HBO Max has the advantage of an existing subscriber base, a trusted brand, and the ability to test vertical shorts without betting the farm.

The shorts will be ad-supported for some users, integrated into the existing HBO Max experience alongside traditional programming. They’ll appear in a dedicated “Shorts” feed within the app, curated alongside highlights from the library. In other words, you might be browsing for The Last of Us and stumble on a three-minute vertical comedy about a zombie trying to order a pizza. It’s a way to keep eyeballs on the platform for longer, especially during those in-between moments when you don’t have time for a full episode but have five minutes to kill.

Will This Actually Work?

The smart money says maybe. HBO Max has a few things going for it. First, its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has a deep well of IP - think Harry Potter, DC, Game of Thrones - that can be spun into snackable vertical content without feeling desperate. Imagine a weekly series of two-minute animated shorts from the Looney Tunes universe, filmed vertically, optimized for your commute. Or a daily talk-show segment where Euphoria stars answer fan questions in portrait mode. The possibilities are endless.

But the real challenge is cultural. Audiences have been trained to associate vertical video with low-effort, user-generated content. HBO Max needs to prove that vertical can be premium - that it can be funny, smart, visually interesting, and worthy of your time, even in 90 seconds. That means hiring creators who understand the format’s rhythms, not just forcing traditional filmmakers to shoot a square crop of their movie.

Also, there’s the question of discovery. On TikTok, the algorithm is king - you don’t choose what you watch, the app does. On HBO Max, users browse by show or genre. Will vertical shorts get lost in the shuffle? The answer depends on how aggressively HBO Max surfaces them. If they’re tucked away in a menu, this could be a quiet experiment that fades. But if they’re pushed front and center, mixed into the homepage alongside The Batman, you might see a shift in behavior.

The Bigger Picture

HBO Max Shorts is, in many ways, a defensive move. Streaming services are increasingly competing for a limited resource: your attention. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are not just time-wasters - they are direct competitors for the hours you might otherwise spend watching a movie or a show. By offering vertical video, HBO Max is trying to own that micro-moment, too. It’s a recognition that the line between “TV” and “social video” is blurring, and if you don’t adapt, you’ll lose the battle for the scrolling thumb.

No launch date or specific content lineup has been announced yet, but early reports suggest HBO Max is targeting a soft rollout later this year, with a handful of creator-driven shorts before expanding. The service is reportedly working with both established indie filmmakers and TikTok-native talent to capture authentic vertical voices. It’s a smart tactic: blend the credibility of HBO with the vernacular of the platform.

Whether this move turns into a new revenue stream or a footnote in streaming history remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the vertical format is no longer a fad. It’s a fundamental shift in how people watch. And HBO Max, for all its prestige, knows it can’t afford to be the last one standing sideways.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter