iWorld
‘Zee Family Pack’ unveiled on YouTube TV
Mumbai: Embark on an immersive journey into South Asian entertainment with the much-anticipated launch of Zee’s new video packages, now gracing screens nationwide on YouTube TV. Unveiling the “Zee Family” package, this strategic partnership introduces an impressive selection of 18 premium channels on the YouTube TV platform, dedicated to captivating the diverse and vibrant South Asian community across the United States.
Asia TV USA Ltd and YouTube TV are thrilled to announce the successful launch of 18 channels from Zee Entertainment in the USA. This partnership marks a significant milestone in catering to the diverse needs of the South Asian population in the USA, particularly regional language speakers such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi etc, the regional languages have seen tremendous growth in the last decade as per the data released in the 2020 US Census.
This landmark collaboration not only reaffirms the availability of the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV, but also introduces a total of 17 additional ZEE channels, offering a rich variety spanning multiple languages. The expanded lineup includes popular channels such as Zee Cinema, &TV, Zee Bangla, Zee Tamil, Zee Telugu, Zee Kannada, Zee Keralam, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Zee World, and others.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd president of content and international markets Punit Misra, emphasized the strategic significance of the U.S. market within ZEE’s global strategy. “The rising South Asian population in the U.S. not only underscores our commitment but also presents a unique prospect for us to fulfill the evolving content preferences of this expanding demographic in the U.S. The strategic partnership with YouTube TV will enable viewers in USA, access to a vast repertoire of rich, multi-lingual content from India showcasing the Country’s culture and traditions, ensuring an immersive and fulfilling viewing experience for consumers.
This collaboration with ZEE marks a significant stride in delivering a premium suite of channels tailored to the South Asian audience to YouTube TV customers nationwide. Emphasizing the importance of this alliance, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief business officer for international business Ashok Namboodiri affirmed, “Our partnership is pivotal in realizing our growth objectives in the U.S., guaranteeing the provision of a diverse range of entertainment options specifically curated for the South Asian audiences subscribing to YouTube TV.”
For more details on our South Asian TV packages on YouTube TV, immerse yourself in the India Family pack experience at https://tv.youtube.com/store. Elevate your entertainment and embrace the diversity!
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
