iWorld
Bite-sized dramas are about to swallow the streaming world whole
CANNES: Forget your boxsets. Forget your hour-long dramas. Audiences are ditching long-form television for something far more intoxicating: episodes that fit in your pocket and demand your full attention in under ten minutes.
Microdramas—those addictive mini-narratives designed for mobile consumption—are redefining entertainment. And the numbers are staggering. According to Omdia, the consultancy that presented its findings at Mipcom, Cannes, this genre will nearly double the revenue of Fast channels, which are projected to pull in just $5.8bn next year.
“Viewers are willing to pay for content that captures them emotionally in seconds,” said María Rua Aguete, head of media and entertainment at Omdia. “Microdramas demonstrate that attention spans may be shorter, but engagement is deeper and more valuable.”
The monetisation model is brutally simple: hook viewers with free episodes, then charge them through subscription or pay-per-episode channels. This approach accounts for more than 60 per cent of total revenue. The payoff is formidable. Average revenue per user can reach $20 per week—or up to $80 per month—making microdramas extraordinarily profitable.
China dominates the space, generating 83 per cent of global revenue, fuelled by a colossal audience and a mobile-first culture. Beyond China, the US claims half of international revenue, with Japan, South Korea, the UK and Thailand emerging as hungry new markets.
“Microdramas are redefining what it means to tell premium stories in the digital age,” Aguete said. “They combine the immediacy of social media with the emotional depth of dramatic television. They are short, addictive, and irresistible.”
This isn’t a fad. As consumer habits shift inexorably towards mobile and short-form content, microdramas are poised to become the centrepiece of digital entertainment—a seismic fusion of social video and traditional storytelling that will reshape how the world consumes drama. The wave is here. And it’s only just begun to crest.
iWorld
MS Dhoni invests in Kuku, joins Kuku TV as brand ambassador
Cricket icon backs AI storytelling platform, fronts Kuku TV campaign
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has invested in Kuku and joined its short-form drama app Kuku TV as brand ambassador, signalling a high-profile bet on India’s fast-growing AI-led content space.
Kuku, a mobile-first storytelling platform, operates across formats with apps such as Kuku TV for micro-dramas, Kuku FM for audio content and Guru for learning-led entertainment. Founded in 2018, the company has scaled rapidly, crossing 350 million installs and building a catalogue of over 20,000 titles across multiple Indian languages.
Dhoni said his decision to invest and partner with the platform was driven by its distinct approach to storytelling and its strong growth trajectory. MS Dhoni said, “I chose to invest in Kuku, and also come on board as the ambassador for Kuku TV, because the platform really stood out to me. It has built a differentiated entertainment experience for audiences across India, spanning multiple languages and formats. The growth has been impressive, and I connect strongly with the founders, who come from small towns like mine and have built something of this scale. I believe in their vision of building an AI-driven storytelling platform from Bharat, for Bharat, and for the world.”
Founded by Lal Chand Bisu, Vinod Kumar Meena and Vikas Goyal, the platform positions itself at the intersection of technology and storytelling, using AI to create and distribute bite-sized content tailored to mobile audiences.
Sharing his perspective, Kuku co-founder and CEO Lal Chand Bisu said, “MS Dhoni is known for backing bold decisions that others might hesitate to take. At Kuku, we are also taking bold bets. That spirit of unconventional thinking resonates deeply with us.”
Adding to this, Kuku co-founder and COO Vinod Kumar Meena said, “Our beloved Thala is one of the rare personalities with truly nationwide appeal. As we build Kuku for all of India, that connection makes him a natural fit for us.”
Further, Kuku co-founder and CTO Vikas Goyal said, “MSD has a unique understanding of people. As we build for both creators and consumers, that perspective will be incredibly valuable, especially as we continue strengthening our AI-driven storytelling stack.”
Backing the momentum, Panthera Peak Capital managing director Nikhil Bhandarkar said, “Kuku’s vision, execution, and clarity of thought are exceptional, qualities that closely mirror MS Dhoni’s approach. We are excited to partner with the team as they build Kuku into a global entertainment platform.”
To mark the association, Kuku TV has rolled out the campaign Dhoni Watches Kuku TV, anchored by a brand film that plays on Dhoni’s instinctive decision-making. Built around short, engaging stories delivered in minutes, the campaign highlights the platform’s promise of quick, compelling entertainment.
With Dhoni stepping in as both investor and face of the brand, Kuku appears to be doubling down on its ambition to take AI-driven storytelling from India to a global audience, one short story at a time.
