Beyond Micro Dramas: How Major Media Companies Are Winning with Vertical Video Strategy | OTT Question Time 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Kids Media Club Podcast, hosts Jo, Andy, and Emily reunited in person at London's OTT Question Time event. Between sessions, they carved out twenty minutes to share their insights from the conference, diving deep into Emily's Vertical Video panel and previewing Jo's upcoming Data and Strategy discussion.

Key InsightsVertical Video: More Than Just Micro Drama Hype

Emily's panel tackled the elephant in the room: vertical video is not synonymous with micro dramas, despite what your LinkedIn feed might suggest. What started as marketing tactics has matured into a legitimate digital commissioning strategy spanning sports content, documentaries, and diverse formats that go far beyond scripted drama.

The timing couldn't be more significant. Just weeks before the event, major industry shifts signaled vertical's mainstream moment: Disney announced their vertical pivot at CES, TikTok launched a standalone micro drama app, Netflix hinted at vertical ambitions during earnings calls, and the BBC unveiled a major YouTube partnership.

Finding Audiences at the Intersection of Niches

Perhaps the most compelling insight came from Paramount's unexpected success with Geordie Shore content. When one cast member shared her infertility journey through vertical video, it transcended the show's typical audience entirely. This demonstrated how platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels curate intersecting niches that connect content with viewers who'd never engage with the traditional format.

Vertical isn't cannibalizing traditional viewing—it's complementary. ESPN's "Verts" app proves this beautifully. Rather than pulling sports fans away from the big screen, vertical content enhances the experience with player deep-dives, stats analysis, and supplementary angles that enrich rather than replace live viewing.

The format's inherent intimacy matters too. Phone-based vertical video creates deeply personal experiences, whether exploring serious topics like infertility or offering fresh perspectives on beloved entertainment franchises.

Traditional Broadcasters Go Fishing in New Waters

Established players like Channel 4, ITV, and the BBC have reached a crucial realization: audiences aren't coming to them anymore. Rather than doubling down on walled gardens and exclusivity, they're strategically "fishing" where audiences actually are—YouTube, Meta, and other platforms. This represents a fundamental shift from trying to corral viewers through forced exclusivity to acknowledging the fluidity of modern fandom.

Data: Powerful Tool or Dangerous Master?

Looking ahead to Jo's panel, the conversation turned to a critical tension in modern media: there's no excuse not to know your audience, yet data can easily become misdirection. While data should inform commissioning and distribution decisions, it tends to measure what's easily measurable—which isn't always what truly matters.

Moonbug's Cocomelon provides the perfect case study. Their YouTube data-driven approach demonstrated analytics' power for IP and franchise building, but also raised important questions about creative vision versus algorithmic optimization.

The real skill isn't drowning in data—it's knowing how to zoom out and distill signal from noise. Ironically, experienced media professionals with 20+ years of instinct are uniquely positioned to thrive in this data-rich environment. Their gut feel, honed over decades, can cut through analytical clutter to find strategic clarity that spreadsheets alone cannot provide.

The sweet spot? Combining analytical rigor with seasoned intuition—letting data inform without letting it dictate.

Recorded live at OTT Question Time in London