Streaming giants chase vertical content

Disney Plus, HBO Max and other major services are experimenting with vertical videos, seeing TikTok and Instagram as threats to their audiences and viewer attention.

Vurt takes vertical to the TV screen

Unlike rivals focused on mobile, startup Vurt launched dedicated apps for Apple TV and Android TV, offering access to three thousand five hundred episodes across more than one hundred shows.

Vurt's user base is growing fast

Since launching in March, Vurt's userbase has grown from ten thousand to six hundred seventy five thousand users, driven by the company's pivot to smart TV platforms.

Human creators, not AI slop

Vurt features soapy microdramas like rivals DramaBox and ReelShort, but the vast majority use human casts and crews rather than AI-generated content, and viewers watch free via ads.

Users wanted bigger screens

Vurt cofounder and angel investor Hilmon Sorey said the TV push came from direct user feedback. The company developed casting first but decided dedicated apps could deliver HD, four K video and high quality audio.

“At first, we first developed the ability for folks to cast to smart TVs. But we decided that wasn't the best experience because we could leverage all of the technology in those large-screen devices to bring features like HD / 4K video, and the ability to do really high-quality audio.”

Fair deals for creators and viewers

Vurt signs licensing agreements giving studios and creators a fifty fifty revenue split. Independent creators can submit projects for approval and launch within days. The platform uses a free to finish model rather than microtransactions.

Vertical stories work on big screens

Vurt consulted creators about viewing preferences. Many preferred theaters and big screens for immersion, but insisted vertical microdramas feel equally engaging on TVs because they tell stories differently with hooks and cliffhangers.

“You've got to have your hook to begin and at the tail end of that, you've got to thrust them into the next episode by virtue of a cliffhanger.”

Vertical is its own genre

Sorey argues vertical microdramas are distinct entertainment with formulaic plots, questionable acting and short episodes. These qualities make some dismiss them as unwatchable, but they drive engagement on Vurt's TV apps.

The question remains unanswered

Vurt's TV apps boost engagement for microdrama fans, but it is unclear whether there is broader appetite for vertical videos with blank spaces on wide screens as other platforms experiment with vertical feeds.