Vertical Drama: Future of mobile entertainment and storytelling

For media companies, advertisers, and storytellers, one thing is clear: the vertical screen is no longer just a format; it's a canvas for the future

By IIM Kozhikode

Published: Aug 25, 2025 12:53:53 PM IST

Updated: Aug 25, 2025 01:07:59 PM IST

Image: Shutterstock

There was once a time when movies in India would run across three Diwali seasons; almost three years or roughly 1,000 days in theatres, with nearly houseful shows. Blockbusters like Sholay (1975) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) drew crowds repeatedly, marking them well-acclaimed films in the industry. Watching a film meant going to a cinema hall or, if you were lucky enough to own one, playing a Compact Disk (CD) on a home player. But the entertainment landscape has transformed dramatically over the past four decades.

Fast forward to today, we live in the era of 'Vertical Drama', a storytelling format designed for vertical screens, typically in the 9:16 aspect ratio of our smartphones. We live in a world dominated by Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, where content consumption has become an experience based on comfort.

However, even these OTT platforms that were once disruptors now face disruption themselves due to the rise of short, vertical, bite-sized dramas that are reshaping how we engage with stories. This is prompting publishers and advertisers to reassess their content display strategies for consumers.

The Vertical Drama Wave

Vertical drama refers to a short-form, mobile-first narrative content, designed for seamless vertical viewing on smartphone devices. Unlike traditional horizontal (16:9) formats made for cinema and TV, vertical dramas are:

Optimised for handheld viewing
Divided into micro-episodes that are 1 to 5 minutes long
Fast-paced and engaging, which hooks the viewer in seconds, often with cliffhangers or episodic suspense.

This genre has gained popularity across Asia, specifically in regions like China and South Korea. Platforms like WeTV, Kuaishou, and iQIYI have invested heavily in vertical storytelling.

Also read: The VC-backed rise of micro dramas in India

As a recent trend in global video consumption on mobile devices, vertical video formats account for more than 71 percent of total mobile video views. This global trend is driving creators to create more smartphone-friendly content.

From Long-Form to Micro-Content

This trend is not accidental. In fact, this has been a long-evolving trend, and the Covid-19 pandemic has given a significant boost to the creator economy that we currently see booming.

Rise of TikTok and Reels: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have conditioned global audiences to consume entertainment in under 60 seconds. TikTok grew its user base by 35.8 percent between 2020 and 2021.
Shorter Series, Fewer Seasons: Where once hit series stretched across 10 or 12 seasons, modern audiences prefer shows with 2-5 tightly written seasons and even shorter episodes. Vertical dramas compress this trend further by turning stories into high-intensity, micro-sized instalments.

Why Viewers Love Vertical Drama

Vertical dramas thrive because they fit perfectly into the rhythms of modern life. Some of the reasons why people feel hooked to it are:

Convenience: You can watch an episode quickly while waiting for coffee or during a commute.
Binge-worthy: The brevity makes it easy to watch several episodes in one go.
Personal and intimate: Vertical framing focuses tightly on characters' faces and emotions, enhancing emotional connection.
Interactive and social: On platforms like TikTok, users can react, comment, remix, or duet, creating a participatory storytelling ecosystem.

According to surveys, most Gen Z viewers prefer short-form content over long-form when using mobile devices. This preference has prompted production houses to experiment with new vertical-first dramas, hoping to capture this young and valuable audience segment.

In South Korea, the vertical web drama A-Teen garnered over 6 million views in over a month and a half on Naver TV, signalling a massive appetite for such content. Even Netflix experimented with mobile-optimised previews and interactive shows like Bandersnatch.

The Business Case for Vertical Drama

Vertical drama isn't just a creative experiment; it's a major business opportunity. It provides a platform for advertisers to display their advertisements in a crisp and attractive format. Mobile video ad spending is projected to surpass $400 billion globally. Vertical ads have higher engagement rates, with reports showing up to 9x higher completion rates compared to horizontal ads. Individual creators and influencers can launch vertical series on platforms like YouTube Shorts, attracting sponsorship deals and fan funding, thus boosting the creator economy. Also, this type of content can scale across geographies without the distribution constraints of cinemas or TV networks.

Vertical Drama in India: A Rising Opportunity

India's entertainment market is perfectly positioned to harness the global wave of vertical drama, with our creator economy that is set to influence close to $1 trillion of spending by consumers. Reports indicate that India has an untapped $6 billion entertainment market potential, which could be achieved by leveraging technical advancements and the available young creators.

Also read: Keeping it real: Content creators redefine influence by talking struggles

Short-form vertical dramas offer independent creators low-barrier entry, allowing them to bypass traditional OTT gatekeepers. With India's massive Gen Z population, who prefer mobile-first content, this format aligns perfectly with evolving consumption patterns.

We currently have over 547 million OTT users. There is a booming mobile-first audience that is influencing India's mobile video consumption, making it a thriving market for the penetration of vertical dramas. With the right strategic investments and creative experimentation, India could soon become a leading hub for vertical storytelling and short-form content across global markets.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Storytelling

Vertical drama is not just a fad; it's the next evolution of how humans consume stories. It reflects consumers' behaviour from the angle of consuming quick, portable, emotionally charged content that fits into everyday life. From the era of streaming major films for a thousand days to bingeing a five-minute mini-drama on the metro, we've come a long way. And as creators push the boundaries of vertical storytelling, we can expect even more immersive, interactive, and globally connected entertainment to emerge.

For media companies, advertisers, and storytellers, one thing is clear: the vertical screen is no longer just a format; it's a canvas for the future.

Authors

Prof. M Geetha, IIM Kozhikode and S S Ajitha Lakshmi, Student – PGP, Business Leadership, IIM Kozhikode