HBO Max is adding a TikTok-style vertical shorts feed for discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is rolling out a vertical video feed on HBO Max powered by an in-house AI tool and human editors to help users find new content.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Warner Bros. Discovery is launching a vertical video feed called HBO Max Shorts.
- Clips are selected using an in-house AI tool combined with human editorial curation.
- The feature is testing first with select iOS users in the United States.
- An experimental conversational search experience is also being tested for Android users in the US.
Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing a vertical video feed to HBO Max to help users discover new titles to watch. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock already offer TikTok-like vertical video feeds designed to surface interesting content to users, and now HBO Max is introducing a comparable feed of its own.
The feed, named "HBO Max Shorts," will be accessible via an icon located on the bottom navigation menu. It will showcase trailers, clips, and bonus material from the HBO Max content library, tailored specifically to individual users based on their watch history. Users can jump directly into a show or movie straight from the HBO Max Shorts clip or add the title to their list to bookmark it for later viewing. HBO Max Shorts will roll out in an initial test phase with select iOS users in the US before expanding to additional markets and devices.
The adoption of vertical video feeds by major subscription streaming services highlights a broader shift in digital media consumption, driven by user familiarity with short-form content platforms. By integrating this fast-paced discovery mechanic into traditional video-on-demand libraries, platforms can effectively combat decision fatigue among subscribers, encouraging them to explore a wider variety of shows and movies through bite-sized, high-impact visual previews.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Warner Bros. Discovery has outlined the production pipeline used to generate the clips for the feed, which relies on a combination of proprietary artificial intelligence and human oversight:
- An in-house built AI tool utilizes machine learning algorithms and scene-level metadata to comb through thousands of hours of video titles.
- The algorithm suggests the most compelling and high-impact scenes designed for content discovery.
- HBO Max human editors review the suggestions to decide which clips best represent compelling stories, jaw-dropping moments, pivotal plot twists, and visually stunning sequences.
- Selected clips are then rendered into a new vertical video format to guarantee seamless playback.
Looking forward, "HBO Max Shorts" plans to expand to additional devices and markets, integrate sports content, and continuously refine the experience based on user interactions.
Additionally, WBD is testing an experimental conversational search experience for HBO Max that allows users to search for content using natural language queries. This feature is currently available first to adult users on Android in the United States, following a similar testing approach seen recently at Netflix.
Source: The Verge
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