Vurt, a startup focused on vertical microdramas, is expanding from phones to televisions. It recently launched dedicated apps for Apple TV and Android TV, giving viewers access to 3,500 episodes across more than 100 shows. The company says its user base grew from 10,000 to 675,000 since launching in March, and that engagement time is higher among viewers using the TV apps.
Vurt is entering a market where established streaming services are experimenting with vertical content to compete with TikTok and Instagram. But unlike many rivals that have leaned on mobile-only experiences and AI-generated programming, Vurt says most of its catalog is produced with human casts and crews. The service is free, supported by ad partnerships, and pays creators a 50/50 revenue split.
Co-founder Hilmon Sorey said the push into TVs came from user feedback. The team initially built casting features, then decided to build native apps to support HD/4K video and better audio. Sorey argues that vertical films and shows are their own genre, and that cliffhanger-driven microdramas can be immersive on a large screen even with blank space on either side.
The larger question, as with any new distribution pivot, is whether a broad audience will want vertical videos on televisions. Vurt is betting that the same addictive short-episode format that works on phones can find a place in living rooms, and it is already planning original series and livestreamed sports.