iWorld
Paywizard’s Vaguine joins Ownzones as SVP, to elevate European presence
MUMBAI: Continuing its expansion throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Ownzones Media Network, the OTT EntTech company, has named Serge Vaguine as Senior Vice President, Business Development. Vaguine will be based in London. The announcement was made today by Douglas Lee, Head of Programming at Ownzones.
In this newly created post, Vaguine takes on the responsibility of increasing the company’s worldwide distribution platform services and technology offerings. This includes Ownzones’ OTT video delivery platform, which provides end-to-end solutions for delivering world-class viewing experiences. On the content front, Vaguine will handle the distribution for 420TV, a new VOD “all things cannabis” channel featuring 4K original, multi-episodic series’, long and short form news, informational and entertainment content, as well as Ownzones Passport, a localized app that gives consumers access to original video programs with top international and local influencers and Hollywood movies.
“Our goal is to gain a foothold in more established European markets, and Serge is a results-driven senior sales and business development executive with a proven track record,” said Lee. “Given his significant global experience in selling complex software and his deep background in digital media and entertainment, he is the perfect choice to lead us both in the content and technology sales efforts.”
Previously, Vaguine served as Vice President Sales at Paywizard Group, a provider of subscriber management and billing solutions for pay TV operators. Vaguine undertook the task of boosting subscriber acquisition and retention as well as providing predictive churn analytics and rich data insight to the firm’s clients, including BT Sports, BoxNation, NBCU and ITV.
From 2006 to 2014, Vaguine served as Director of Business Development, EMEA at Amino Communications, the leading provider of innovative hybrid TV, IPTV and cloud TV solutions and was based in Cambridge during his nine-year tenure with the company.
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Netflix’s Nick Nelson joins Ownzones Media as head of product innovation
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.
