{
  "id": 2918813,
  "title": "Microdramas now a big share of viewers' interest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/microdramas-now-a-big-share-of-viewers-interest",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T18:18:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/microdramas-now-take-a-macro-share-of-viewers-interest/articleshow/133445127.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: Microdrama content is increasingly capturing Indian viewers' interest, according to a recent study by market research firm Kantar. In just two years since its inception in India, microdrama has surpassed short-form videos in popularity, engaging audiences for the same amount of time as long-form content - around 14% each. Ebu Isaac, head of Media & Analytics Business in South Asia, Kantar, notes that 80% of consumers today prefer microdrama, putting it at par with short-form video (81%) and significantly ahead of long-form content (63%).\n\nMicrodrama's appeal lies in its immediacy and cliffhanger storytelling, which caters to viewers' short attention spans. The format, consisting of episodes under two minutes, does not equate to short viewing times; in fact, 86% of viewers spend at least 15 minutes daily watching microdrama, with 54% returning to the same story on the same day. This suggests that microdrama's short episodes do not mean diminished viewer engagement.\n\nAnshita Kulshreshta, co-founder of Tuk Tuki, a microdrama platform, emphasizes that viewers are not choosing between short-form and long-form content but rather how they want to consume a story. The bite-sized content, with engaging hooks and storytelling, translates into multiple viewing sessions throughout the day, amounting to long hours of consumption.\n\nIndustry players agree that microdrama is not replacing long-form content but offers a unique way to capture people's time. Neha Markanda, chief business officer of ShareChat, which operates microdrama platform QuickTV, explains that viewers typically watch about 55 minutes of microdrama content daily, often in two to three sessions. With 133,445,322 microdrama episodes watched, users are connecting with the content at various times, from commuting to breaks and even at night.\n\nMicrodrama content is primarily discovered through social media platforms, with relatable stories, engaging hooks, and small episodes providing a sense of completion. Unlike passive scrolling, microdrama creates a net-new screen time, as users spend over 95 minutes daily on Story TV, with peak viewing periods in the morning, evening, and late at night.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}