When faced with fierce competition, it is human nature to mimic one’s rivals. While this can sometimes be effective, other times it might fail to yield the desired results. 

One example of a popular service pivoting in a completely different direction is Instagram’s launch of “Stories” to mimic Snapchat. Then in 2021, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri announced that Instagram was no longer just a “photo-sharing app.” He explained that the platform would prioritize four main areas to stay competitive with apps such as TikTok and YouTube. 

This resulted in a user-led movement in 2022, popularized by photographer Tati Bruening, who urged Meta to stop prioritizing Reels/algorithmic recommendations over photos from friends. The petition, whose key demands included returning to a chronological feed, reducing recommended content, and refocusing on photo-sharing, gained more than 300,000 verified signatures on Change.org.

While Instagram’s monthly active users grew from 1.04 billion in 2020 to 1.44 billion in 2025, according to Statista, it probably lost some original subscribers due to the shift. 

That’s why mimicking competition can be a risky move. On the one hand, you might draw new subscribers looking for those precise features, but on the other hand, you might lose a number of existing ones who don’t appreciate that kind of change. 

Just recently, Disney+ angered a number of subscribers when it revealed it would introduce a vertical video format later in 2026. Users criticized the move as “disappointing” and “desperate.” 

Now, Paramount+  is planning a similar move. 

Paramount+ shifts its focus to short-form videos and user-generated content, internal documents reveal.

JOCA_PH/Shutterstock.com

Paramount+ plans move into short-form video

Paramount+ is working on a major initiative called “Project Eagle,” under which the streamer aims to transition from a traditional streaming platform into a more tech-focused, engagement-driven service that can compete with TikTok and YouTube, reported Business Insider. 

The outlet cited internal documents it has seen. Specifically, the report states that Dan Reich, the head of global product and design for Paramount+, emailed executives in January asking to set up a meeting with Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow to talk about “short form clips.” 

“We are trying to figure out how to jump-start efforts to get a million clips into our Short Form UX as quickly as possible,” Reich wrote in the email, according to Business Insider. 

Reich added that he believes Paramount’s AMLG or Applied Machine Learning Group “has the clips ready (or near ready?)” for further testing before the rollout. 

Per the report, the short-form video is a top priority for Paramount+ in the first quarter, especially in its mobile app, according to an internal presentation viewed by the outlet. 

“As soon as we get the clips in, there will be increased pressure to provide a personalized feed of clips,” Reich wrote to his colleagues.

Paramount+ to integrate user-generated content for short-form videos 

So far, Paramount+ hasn’t really offered many short-form videos, except for a few trailers, clips, and interviews through its apps and social platforms like YouTube. This is about to change. 

Business Insider further reports that Paramount+ plans to create short-form clips from existing content, but that the company is also interested in expanding the content to user-generated videos. 

What’s more, user-generated content (UGC) was listed as one of the priorities for its mobile app development. 

This suggests that Paramount+ is planning to mimic the very core of YouTube and TikTok’s strategy. 

Potential downsides of short-form video formats

I recently covered a similar plan from Disney+; it was not welcomed by subscribers, who shared their opinions on Reddit. Aside from people feeling overwhelmed with this type of content, industry data suggest these videos pose potential risks. 

Research suggests short-form videos may negatively impact cognitive abilities; specifically, short-form video addiction increases academic procrastination both directly and indirectly, according to a study published in Frontiers in Psychology in December 2023. In an indirect way, addiction to short-form videos impacts students’ control of their attention (attentional control). 

 More Entertainment:

  • Amazon Prime Video introduces major free upgrade for US subscribers
  • YouTube TV adds key feature, fixing subscriber frustration
  • YouTube TV faces growing backlash as users demand key upgrade

A systematic review published in medRxiv found that frequent short-form video use is consistently associated with attentional disruption, reduced executive function, and emotional dysregulation.

In addition, research published in BMC Psychology found that individuals with “Short Video Addiction” exhibited significantly higher risk-taking tendencies and a diminished ability to learn from negative outcomes (income loss) compared to non-users.

Judging from the comments of Disney+ subscribers when the news broke about its expansion into short-form video content, it appears many are just tired of these videos.

So how do Paramount+ users feel about it? 

Paramount+ subscribers comment on short-form videos 

On this small Reddit thread spreading the announcement, the majority of users didn’t like the idea of short-form videos on Paramount+.

“One more short-form platform why? It makes sense for Instagram and YouTube to do it because they already have free content creators. I can’t see anyone making content for Paramount Plus; they’d have to pay creators upfront to convince them to make videos, just like Netflix is doing with podcasts, why not do something you are best at which is making processional [sic] shows and film,” wrote user Obvious_Shoe7302.

User KingMario05 commented how “everyone wants to be the next YouTube. The winner from this, I boldly predict, will be… YouTube. As the rest of them spend their way into dizzying debt, then cultural irrelevance. Y’know. Again. (Unless Paramount+ becomes a glorified TikTok feed. But who the hell wants to watch that on your TV? Not me, at least.)”

Short-form videos are still popular, but should every platform have them? 

Skydance Media and Paramount Global completed their merger in August 2025, creating a standalone global media and entertainment giant. 

In a letter to employees upon the merger’s closing, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison stated his mission to “transform Paramount into a tech-forward company that blends the creative heart of Hollywood with the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies to serve great storytelling, we will unlock the company’s enormous potential.” 

David Ellison’s father is Larry Ellison, who co-founded Oracle, a company that recently acquired a stake in TikTok’s U.S. business. 

Transforming Paramount into a more tech-oriented company might be a good strategy. After all, short‑form videos generate about 2.5× more engagement than long‑form videos, and videos under 90 seconds retain about 50% of viewers on average, according to analysis by Marketing LTB. 

Here’s the question that comes to mind: While this type of content is extremely popular, should everyone copy it? And if everyone is offering the same short-form videos, what would differentiate one platform from another? 

Let’s wait and see how the Paramount+ strategy pans out.  

Related: Netflix subscribers say these 5 issues drive them to cancel