iWorld
Google and Facebook will be the top two ad publishers in 2014: eMarketer study
MUMBAI: A recent study conducted by eMarketer has revealed that the mobile ad spending in US is expected to near $9.6 billion in 2013 and account for a whopping 22.5 per cent of all digital ad investments.
The report also highlights that both Facebook and Google are major drivers and recipients of this growing market, domestically and internationally.
“The rapid growth of mobile ad revenues at Facebook has helped make the social network the second-largest digital ad seller in the US, behind only Google. This year, Facebook will take in 7.4 per cent of net US digital ad dollars, or $3.17 billion, while Google will account for nearly four in 10, or $17.00 billion,” reveals the eMarketer study.
eMarketer had previously forecast that Facebook would remain slightly behind Yahoo! this year. “But the strength of Facebook’s mobile business has pushed the social network past Yahoo!, whose share is now expected to decline to 5.8 per cent in 2013, from 6.8 per cent last year,” says eMarketer in its report.
The study reveals that even on a worldwide basis, Google and Facebook will be the top two ad publishers, with 31.91 per cent and 5.64 per cent of the market this year, respectively.
eMarketer has also found that both Google and Facebook have grabbed the greatest shares of net US mobile ad revenues, with Facebook jumping from 9 per cent to 16 per cent between 2012 and 2013.
“Globally, Google dominates the mobile ad landscape, with a 48.76 per cent market share,” eMarketer estimates. “Facebook has seen its share of global mobile revenues explode this past year, growing from 5.34 per cent in 2012 to 16.91 per cent in 2013.”
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.
