Streaming apps see challenge from the rise of short videos

Dark mysteries, dystopian tales are getting junked, giving way to more slice-of-life dramas, relatable, compelling tales

- Lata Jha

Reels and other short and slick content on smartphones are fast emerging as a formidable challenger to streaming platforms as they compete for a larger slice of the attention economy. With viewers increasingly given to scrolling on smartphones even while they watch OTT content, creators and platforms concede they are battling a stiff competition from smaller, second screens that distract and engage users away from the long-format content that they were watching. As a result, shows and films need to hook the viewer within the first few minutes, and also veer towards light programming that can be followed while scrolling. No wonder then that dark myst