Amazon Prime Video Introduces Vertical Short-Form “Clips” to Target Gen Z

The Beginning of the Short-Form War: Global OTT Survival Strategy

Big changes are underway in the global online video-on-demand (OTT) market. After “Netflix” and “Disney+”, “Amazon Prime Video” has officially entered the “short-form” (short video) content ecosystem.

On the 9th (local time), the U.S. IT news outlet Mashable reported that Amazon has rolled out a new short-form feature, “Clips”, directly to its mobile applications. Analysts say this is not just a simple feature update—it’s a strategic move to seize control of the next era of media.

[Focus] A New Content-Watching Paradigm Presented by “Clips”

The newly revealed “Clips” reshapes and delivers key highlights from “Amazon Prime Video”—including movies, dramas, and sports events—into a vertical “short-form”. Viewers can watch videos continuously through the feed, then add the original content they’re interested in to their watch list right away or purchase and rent it.

One especially noteworthy aspect is its social sharing feature. While the existing OTT “short-form” had largely been limited to teaser videos meant to keep users within the platform, “Clips” is designed to let people share videos freely with friends and acquaintances through external messengers and social media, maximizing its spread.

At present, the service is initially available in the U.S. on iOS, Android, and Fire Tablet environments. Starting this summer, it is expected to expand its service regions and supported devices across the globe.

[Industry Outlook] Catch Gen Z: The Inevitable Evolution of the OTT Industry

The repeated adoption of “short-form” in the global OTT industry is an unavoidable trend of the times. Earlier, “The Walt Disney Company” introduced Bites, a vertical browsing feature, to “Disney+” in March. “Netflix” has also built highlight feeds tailored to subscribers. Many other platforms, such as Peacock and Tubi, are following the same direction.

Behind this industry reshuffling lies a meticulous survival strategy aimed at locking “Gen Z” (born between 1997 and 2006), who are accustomed to snack culture, into platform engagement through lock-in.