Just a few years ago, long and dark dramas ruled streaming platforms. Think eight to ten episodes, each almost an hour long, packed with crime, suspense, and serious twists. But now, that trend is quickly fading. Platforms are hearing one thing loud and clear from viewers: enough with the gloom and doom.
This is a familiar occurrence.
Previously, we have seen spikes of viewership in shows and genres followed by a rapid decline. After the airing of Sacred Games (Netflix) OTTs came up with a lot of similar offerings.
Unfortunately they couldn’t retain the viewership. This decline is not related to this one genre either. The Bear (Hulu/Disney+ Hotstar) suffered a major decline in viewership after its hit first season. OTT consumer do not want same type of content being churned out and they have made it clear.
Today’s audiences, especially younger ones, want short, flexible stories they can watch as part of their daily routine. Experts also that the earlier format just isn’t working anymore. Ten hours of viewing needs to be done with. People don’t have the time or patience for slow-paced tales, especially post-COVID. His new docu-fiction series keeps things tight, with episodes running between 25 to 35 minutes.
Regional content is booming too. And with mobile viewing taking over, shorter, more entertaining stories, like on YouTube or Instagram, are the way forward. The era of dark, heavy dramas isn’t fully over, but it’s definitely losing steam. Viewers want light. And platforms are finally delivering.