iWorld
BBC Studios, HOOQ India sign content deal for three British dramas
MUMBAI: Indian viewers will get access to nearly 200 hours of top BBC dramas—Luther, Maigret and Wolf Hall—as a result of a content deal between BBC Studios and HOOQ India. The announcement was made on the second day of the Asia Pay TV Operators Summit (APOS) in Indonesia.
“We have seen increasing interest in premium British dramas in India and are very pleased to be working with HOOQ to deliver quality British drama to meet this demand. We are confident that the programmes will be well received by HOOQ’s subscribers,” said BBC Studios SVP and GM of India and Southeast Asia Myleeta Aga.
Programmes include BBC’s award-winning crime drama Luther, a gripping psychological thriller driven by an intellectually brilliant but emotionally impulsive cop John Luther (Idris Elba); Maigret, a drama rendition of Georges Simenon’s bestselling crime stories set in 1950s Paris, played by actor Rowan Atkinson; and Wolf Hall, an intimate portrait of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), the brilliant consigliere to King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis), as he manoeuvres the corridors of power at the Tudor court.
“We are always looking out for new content to entertain our subscribers and we are very excited to share with our Indian subscribers these award-winning and highly rated dramas from BBC Studios. Our subscribers have come to know and love the content that we constantly bring to them and we will continue to add more hours of exciting and amazing entertainment to keep India HOOQ’d!” HOOQ chief content officer Jennifer Batty said.
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iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
