Overview

• Zupee announced Zupee Studio with comedy, crime and romance series aimed at small-town viewers after real‑money gaming bans pushed companies to pivot into content.
• Major platforms are moving toward in‑app micro‑drama offerings, with Z5, Amazon MX Player’s MX Fatafat and SonyLIV at various preparation or pilot stages, and Zee recently taking a stake in Bullet.
• Startups such as Flick TV, Chai Shots and Viralo have raised funding as more than a dozen apps target catalogs of 100 to 500 vertical series produced for under‑five‑minute viewing.
• Executives describe the format as content gamification, with coin‑based episode unlocks alongside branded content, ads and hybrid subscription models to drive retention and revenue.
• Industry voices warn of low pay, weak ethics and a glut of poor‑quality shows even as rapid production cycles, multilingual subtitles and viral distribution fuel global reach and a market that some estimate could near $14 billion by 2027.