Make Vertical Video Pay 

Vertical video has already won the swipe. The bigger opportunity is what happens next. Microdramas are turning short-form storytelling into a commercial journey, where every cliffhanger can drive a purchase, subscription or return visit.  
That is where vertical gets interesting: when attention becomes monetizable. 

The Microdrama Effect 

Microdramas generated $11 billion globally in 2025, according to Omdia, and are on track for further rapid growth. Yet the real signal is engagement: in the US, ReelShort users spent 35.7 minutes per day on the app in Q4 2025 – more than Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video on mobile. 

Maria Rua Aguete, Senior Research Director at Omdia, captures the shift:

“What stands out is not just revenue growth, but the intensity of usage. On mobile, microdrama apps are generating more daily viewing time than the world’s biggest streaming platforms.” 

That viewing pattern creates something traditional VOD has fewer opportunities to generate: repeated, high-intent moments where the viewer is already engaged with the story and ready to unlock what comes next. 

That is where the monetization opportunity begins: turning momentum into repeated transactions, subscriptions, and return visits. 

One Story. Multiple Revenue Moments.  

Microdramas are built for momentum. Short episodes and constant cliffhangers create repeated opportunities to unlock, subscribe, spend, and return. 

TVOD, SVOD and micro-payments can work as layers of one monetization strategy, turning each viewing moment into a potential transaction while rewards drive repeat engagement and subscriptions build recurring revenue. 

Omdia estimates that more than 60% of global microdrama revenue comes from subscription or transactional payments, showing how closely the format is already tied to direct monetization. 

DPP’s Tech Trends 2026 adds another signal: 56.1% of digital video advertising is expected to be in short-form video in 2026, showing how quickly attention and ad money are moving in the same direction. 

For OTT operators, the opportunity is simple: bring monetization closer to the moment of engagement and turn every swipe into revenue potential. 

Monetization, Built Into the Experience 

Backscreen App puts the transactional model where it matters most: inside the viewing experience. The model combines transactional access, subscriptions and rewards, giving viewers multiple ways to access vertical content while creating multiple routes to revenue. 

Viewers can unlock an episode for 24 hours, choose a weekly VIP or SuperVIP subscription, or use coins earned through activity or included with a subscription. SuperVIP adds a premium layer, with access to the latest episodes reserved for subscribers. 

The UX follows the same commercial logic. For You turns discovery into vertical viewing and leads viewers into the full series experience, where unlocked and locked episodes sit alongside additional content. Rewards turn engagement into coins and give viewers more ways to access content, while Profile puts subscription plans and their benefits in a clear view. 

The result is a closed-loop viewing economy: discover, engage, unlock, subscribe, earn, return.  

See Vertical Money 

Vertical has the attention. Now make it pay. 

At IBC 2026, Backscreen brings that model to life. From the first swipe to the next transaction. From vertical attention to vertical revenue. 

See Vertical Money. Booth 5.A37. 

Source: Omdia, What Is Hot in Media? Spanish Edition, 2026; DPP, Tech Trends 2026