iWorld
Disney to take charge of Hulu’s scripted originals team
MUMBAI: Following the Disney – 21st Century Fox merger, Walt Disney Television is taking charge of the streaming service Hulu’s scripted originals team. Hulu scripted originals senior vice president Craig Erwich will now report to Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment head Dana Walden.
Erwich and his team will not relocate to Disney’s headquarters in Burbank but will remain based out of Hulu's Santa Monica headquarters. But the streamer's unscripted original programming, original film and licensed content teams will continue to report to Hulu CEO Randy Freer.
"As Hulu drives toward its ambitious subscriber and engagement goals, it is important that we take full advantage of the creative resources and production capabilities of Disney Television Studios, which are among the best in the world," Freer said.
"Hulu Originals have been widely recognised for their originality, boldness and high level of quality," Walden said. "They are a meaningful part of what has driven the platform’s impressive growth over the past few years. Craig and his team have done excellent work. I am excited to work with Randy in this next phase of Hulu. This new structure will enable Hulu to have access to many of the best creators in the world and programming from all of the content engines inside of Walt Disney Television," the executive added.
Renowned Hulu originals such as The Handmaid’s Tale, The Act, Catch-22, Castle Rock, The Looming Tower and Pen15 have been launched under Erwich’s leadership who joined the organisation in 2014.
iWorld
Applause, Story TV team up to push microdrama content
Partnership to create premium short form shows for mobile first viewers
MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment and Story TV are betting on short attention spans with a long-term vision, joining forces to create a slate of premium microdramas for mobile-first audiences.
The partnership brings together Applause’s storytelling pedigree and Story TV’s fast-growing digital reach, with plans to co-produce and distribute bite-sized dramas across genres. As part of the deal, Story TV will also adapt the romantic thriller Hello Mini into a vertical microdrama format, signalling a shift in how stories are being reshaped for smaller screens.
Backed by the Aditya Birla Group, Applause Entertainment has built a reputation for high-quality content with titles like Scam 1992 and Criminal Justice. Story TV, launched in 2025, has quickly scaled up with a library of over 1,000 titles across languages and genres, riding the wave of mobile consumption.
Story TV founder and CEO Saurabh Pandey said, “Phones are now the primary screens for content consumption, and microdramas are evolving into a mainstream format. At Story TV, we are blending storytelling with technology to push this format further.”
He added that the collaboration with Applause Entertainment will help expand the reach of microdramas while introducing a layer of premium storytelling to the space.
Applause Entertainment chief business officer Prasoon Garg said, “At Applause, we have always focused on strong storytelling across formats. As microdramas gain momentum, this partnership allows us to explore the space with a platform that understands both the format and its audience.”
With mobile screens shrinking and content getting sharper, the collaboration hints at a future where storytelling is not just shorter, but smarter, designed to fit neatly into the scroll of everyday life.
