HBO Max Introduces Vertical Shorts for Streaming

Warner Bros. Discovery is rolling out a vertical video feed on HBO Max to enhance your content discovery experience. Following the trend set by platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock, which feature TikTok-style vertical feeds, HBO Max is introducing its own version called “HBO Max Shorts.”

You’ll find this new feed accessible via an icon in the bottom navigation menu. It will showcase trailers, clips, and bonus content from the HBO Max library, personalized based on your viewing history. You can dive straight into a show or movie from a clip or save it to your list for later viewing. Initially, HBO Max Shorts will be available to a select group of iOS users in the US before expanding to more devices and regions.

The creation of these clips involves a combination of an in-house AI tool and HBO Max editors. The AI utilizes machine learning algorithms and scene-level metadata to sift through thousands of hours of content, identifying the most engaging and impactful scenes for users. After the AI suggests clips, human editors curate them to highlight the stories viewers love, capturing breathtaking moments, key plot twists, and visually impressive sequences. These clips are then formatted for a smooth vertical viewing experience. In the future, “HBO Max Shorts” will broaden its reach to include more devices and markets, feature sports content, and evolve based on user interactions.

Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery is experimenting with a “conversational search experience” on HBO Max, allowing users to search for content using natural language queries. This feature is currently available for adult users on Android in the US, with Netflix also exploring a similar capability.