iWorld
Hulu goes global as Disney drops Star and overhauls its streaming app
BURBANK: Disney is ditching Star. From 8 October, Hulu—until now available only in America and Japan—will become the entertainment brand for adult content on Disney+ in international markets. The move sets the stage for a full merger of Disney’s streaming apps next year, as the media giant tries to simplify its cluttered digital offering.
The rebrand comes with a sweeping redesign of Disney+. Subscribers will encounter a new “For You” landing page, powered by algorithms that promise to learn viewing habits over time. A navigation bar across the top splits content by service—Disney+, Hulu and ESPN—whilst a “Live” hub corrals news, sports and round-the-clock streams into one place. New badges will flag season finales, fresh series and recently added films.
Behind the scenes, Disney has rebuilt its recommendation engine from scratch. The new system will surface personalised suggestions across the platform, with user profiles made more prominent to keep viewing habits separate. The homepage gets a visual refresh too: a video carousel replaces static images, brand rows showcase the latest releases with cinematic artwork, and the overall design aims for something sleeker and more modern.
Mobile users will see widgets arrive on iOS devices, offering one-tap access to shows and films. Disney promises “mobile-first” features in the coming months, though it has kept details vague. The company describes these changes as merely the opening salvo, with more updates planned before the unified app launches next year.
The timing is no accident. Disney has been haemorrhaging money on streaming—its direct-to-consumer division lost $512m in the most recent quarter—and needs to cut costs whilst growing subscribers. Consolidating brands and improving discovery could help keep viewers hooked, reducing the churn that has plagued the industry. Whether audiences embrace the changes or simply long for the days when finding something to watch wasn’t quite so algorithmic remains to be seen.
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.
