iWorld
Online video boom starting to affect TV viewing: BBC Study
MUMBAI: People are starting to watch less TV as the online video boom grows, suggests a BBC News survey.
Around 43 per cent of UK people who watch video from the internet or on a mobile device at least once a week said that they watched less normal TV as a result.
Online and mobile viewing is rising – three quarters of users said they now watched more than they did a year ago. The BBC News Website is running a series of special features looking at the future of TV.
The website’s survey also suggests that online video viewers are still in the minority – just nine per cent said that they did so regularly.
Another 13 per cent said they watched occasionally, while a further 10 per cent said they expected to start in the coming year.
But two-thirds of the population said they did not watch online and could not envisage starting in the next 12 months.
In the survey, one in five people who watched online or mobile video at least once a week said they watched a lot less TV as a result.
Another 23 per cent said that they watched a bit less, while just over half said their TV viewing was unchanged. Three per cent said that online video inspired them to watch more TV.
Online and mobile video is far more popular among the young, with 28 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 saying they watched more than once each week.
An average of 10 per cent aged 25 to 44 were net video regulars, with that figure falling to just 4% of over-45s.
Earlier this year, media regulator Ofcom said that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds watching TV in an average day had dropped 2.9% between 2003 and 2005.
Comedian Ricky Gervais, whose audio and video podcasts have become hits on the web, said amateur video would never replace TV – but broadcasters would harness the power of the internet.
“You can’t knock up an episode of The Sopranos or 24 on a little handheld digital camera,” he told the BBC News website.
“I don’t think you’ll ever be able to sidestep TV or DVD. But TV companies will embrace it.”
The choice offered by new platforms was “exciting”, he said, and any future developments depended on how many people started using the technology.
“I’m sure when the BBC first launched, they were going: ‘Ah, not many people have got tellies. Who’s watching this?’ So it’s good to get your act together. And then people catch up with the know-how and the means to watch it.”
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.
