iWorld
Trace to launch its new OTT service Trace Play in Arkena
MUMBAI: Arkena has announced that they have been selected to deliver an end to end OTT platform for Trace, the international multicultural TV network. To offer its fans and communities their favorite unlimited on-demand content, Trace is launching Trace Play, a new SVOD service.
Trace audiences will be able to watch a broad range of original and curated content related to urban and black culture on any screen via web and mobile apps on iOS and Android. To support TRACE in its multiscreen development strategy, Arkena is providing the complete end-to-end platform covering the content management, back-office and delivery for both live and on-demand content.
“Scalability is a key factor for our operations, especially as we plan to extend our OTT SVOD offering while addressing alternate business models such as IPTV,” says Trace CEO Olivier Laouchez.
Arkena live head-end services will streamline live content preparation and distribution from around 10 live channels, increasing security thanks to multi-DRM management. The OTT platform will be powered by Arkena OTT Service Manager (OSM), the company’s open and cloud-based video distribution solution. OSM is a future proof solution boasting a vast array of turnkey components including content, metadata, offers and device management. The on-demand workflow based on Harmony, Arkena content management system, will process more than 4 000 hours of content. Arkena is partnering with Cleeng, the leading video e-commerce platform for global brands including IMG, Elisa/Fanseat, Cirque du Soleil, Cox, Setanta, Dailymotion, for payment and subscribers management, and Dotscreen, one of Europe’s leading multiscreen agency for advanced video apps, for user interfaces and front-end applications.
“Arkena OTT solutions have proved to be easily and cost-effectively scalable to enable new channels, devices and customers on a single and reliable platform. We are confident that Arkena longstanding expertise and outstanding service quality will help us meet our new challenge head on”. “OTT is an important part of Trace interactive television strategy and we are proud that our advanced platform was selected to help Trace open up a world of live and on-demand content to its existing and new subscribers,” said Arkena CEO Aymeric de Cardes.
Arkena will be demonstrating its end to end cloud based OTT platform at TV Connect Booth 46, from 26 April to 28 2016 in London.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
