Overview
- Amazon MX Player launched Fatafat as a dedicated hub for short vertical series, and JioHotstar is reported to be planning a free slate in early April.
- Lumikai projects the category to grow from about $300 million in 2025 to $4.5 billion by 2030, calling it a fast-rising segment of digital entertainment.
- The format has built reach with about 100 million monthly users and 450 million app downloads, yet monetisation lags with roughly 17 million payers and ARPU near $15 versus OTT’s 133 million and $35.
- Studios and apps are scaling supply as Pratilipi says it invested over $1 million and is ramping to about 35 titles a month, while Applause Entertainment will develop a premium slate for Story TV.
- Meta–Ormax research finds 65% of viewers discovered these shows in the past year and 89% via social feeds, with about 3.5 hours of weekly viewing and growing openness to AI-made content.