Netflix launches short-form video feature as OTT giants race to reclaim time lost to YouTube

"I watch YouTube Shorts so often that a 12-episode drama series feels way too long," said a 30-year-old office worker surnamed Lee.

"I've given up on a lot of dramas after just one episode because 50-plus minutes is too much," said Park, a 41-year-old office worker.

As more viewers opt for short-form clips of around 15 seconds over longer content, Netflix has launched its own short-form service. Amazon, Disney+ and other global streaming platforms are following suit, reflecting sustained growth in the short-form market both in South Korea and worldwide.

According to industry sources, global OTT platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have entered the short-form market one after another. The move is widely seen as an effort to reclaim viewing time lost to YouTube Shorts, the dominant force in the space.

Netflix recently launched a short-form feature called Clips within its mobile app. The service delivers key scenes from original long-form content as vertical short videos. Users who find a clip interesting can jump directly into the full episode or add it to their watchlist.

Clips has launched first in nine countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and India, with plans to expand to six more countries, including South Korea.

Amazon Prime Video launched a short-form service under the same name in early May, taking a similar approach — condensing highlight scenes from original content into short clips. Users can add the corresponding title to their watchlist or purchase or rent it immediately.

Disney+ introduced its own short-form service, Verts, in March, offering preview clips of platform content in short-form format.

Industry observers see the push by global OTT platforms into short-form as a bid to recover viewing time ceded to YouTube, the runaway leader in the space. YouTube has cemented its dominance by building out its Shorts service. In April, monthly active user rankings for domestic OTT platforms put YouTube at 49.76 million, followed by Netflix at 14.8 million, Coupang Play at 9.1 million, Tving at 7.71 million, Wavve at 3.9 million and Disney+ at 3.46 million.

South Korean OTT platforms have already moved into short-form to attract users. Tving introduced a short-form service called Shorts in 2024 and last year launched a short-form content brand called Short Original. Wavve, meanwhile, is working with a short-form production specialist to develop drama and entertainment content running around 10 minutes.

According to market research firm Statista, the global short-form market was valued at $40 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 60 percent over the next five years.