With New Genres, Viewers Like You Are Changing What TV Actually Means
SOURCE:CNET|BY:Kourtnee Jackson
As we head into 2026, there's potential for new types of shows like microdramas and video podcasts to take off.
It feels like every other week we're getting hit with news about the entertainment industry that impacts us as TV watchers. There are price hikes. There are company mergers. Live sports streaming is messy. And there's the ongoing convo about whether we're back in the cable TV era, despite streaming services' takeover of our wallets and screens.
It's no surprise that, on average, we spend $101 a month on streaming here in the US. It's probably no surprise that the number of households that still have traditional TV has declined to 41%, while 91% of us have streaming subscriptions, according to Parks Associates. We're streaming Stranger Things, NFL games, Landman and live events like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We watch a lot at home, and we watch more on our phones -- whether we're on the go or staying put at home.
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But there's something else going on. We, as viewers, are changing the type of content that is king, and we're influencing how and what stories are made.
Microseries could be the next 'it' genre
Deloitte published its 2026 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions report in November, highlighting the new directions TV is taking, thanks to our evolving viewing habits. The takeaway? Get ready for more microseries and video podcasts.
This year, media research experts say we're consuming more video content through social media and streaming services, such as YouTube, Netflix and TikTok, rather than traditional TV. While there's an uptick across all generations, Gen Z and millennials surveyed are getting most of their video entertainment through social media and consider it their main way of watching TV -- via their phones. It's a shift that has gotten audiences accustomed to abbreviated forms of entertainment where there's an appetite for short-form vertical videos, and microseries could become the next big wave.
Popularized in China, microseries -- and their subgroup, microdramas -- are short, bite-sized TV shows and films designed for phone viewing, typically lasting one to two minutes per episode. (Yes, it sounds like the now-defunct Quibi platform.) The concept is taking off in the UK, where there are production houses like Onset Octopus dedicated solely to the format, and here in the US, where you can find apps like ReelShort, DramaBox or GoodShort pumping out soap opera-esque dramas.
Occasionally, you may have seen clips pop up on your TikTok or Instagram feed, beckoning you to stream I Kicked Out My Three Fiances in My Second Life in its entirety -- broken down into 60- or 90-second segments. While some content is free, a paid subscription is required to stream all content in an app's library.
Here's a look at some titles the Dramabox microdrama app has to offer. Dramabox/Screenshot by Kourtnee Jackson/CNET
Deloitte predicts that in 2026, microseries' in-app revenue will surge to $7.8 billion, double the projected amount for 2025 at $3.8 billion. For traditional Hollywood entertainment brands, there are opportunities to step into this growing genre of microcontent through collaborations with individual creators, carefully curated use of generative AI or by using what these companies already have.
When I spoke with Wenny Katzenstein, a managing director at Deloitte, she noted that media giants may find an opening to capture viewers' eyeballs by "using them to actually drive back to IP that already exists." It's a way to reconnect with fans like us by turning our attention toward familiar characters and titles through newly created microcontent -- or even AI-generated content -- and actually may not be that far off for some companies.
Eric Schrier, president of Disney's television studios, recently told Variety that he hopes to bring microstorytelling to the platform soon via vertical video, but there are no firm plans on when. For now, the focus is on how to bring production up to par to meet Disney Plus' standards.
Viewers seem to be open to more, with Activate Consulting reporting that 52% of adults it surveyed aged 18 to 34 used at least one microdrama app to watch something. That doesn't mean streaming TV platforms will go extinct but it may mean that what we'll see in the realm of vertical video expands to more than Tubi's Scenes feature or Netflix's experiment with short-form feeds on its mobile app.
Video podcasts, or vodcasts, gain popularity
Who says podcasts are just for your ears? Video podcasts hit your TV and phone screens as frequently as new episodes of network shows like Chicago Fire. There's also a term for them that you can either embrace or hate: vodcasts.
It's likely you've already watched video podcasts on YouTube, Spotify or Wondery, and it's also likely you've scrolled through clips (viral or not) on social media. Some viewers stream episodes using paid subscriptions, and you're also probably watching ads in exchange for catching a free episode. No matter how you slice it, it's a format that's here to stay, and as you may have guessed, there are two groups who watch regularly: millennials and Gen Z-ers.
During its fall 2025 survey, Deloitte learned 27% of consumers it surveyed in the US watch vodcasts weekly, and Activate Consulting said 70% of the top 50 US audio podcasts have a video offering. When you think about your must-see TV shows, do you include titles like Crime Junkie AF or Club Shay Shay? Pointing to factors such as parasocial relationships with guests and vodcast hosts, as well as the ability to incorporate visuals, Deloitte noted that viewers gain a better sense of authenticity and relatability -- making them more likely to return and watch more.
Already a mainstay on YouTube, vodcasts are spreading to more screens. In a major move, Netflix is getting in the game, partnering with iHeartMedia, Barstool Sports and Spotify to launch video podcasts on the streaming platform in 2026 for US viewers. If you're a fan of The Breakfast Club, The Ringer NFL Show, Conspiracy Theories or The Ryen Russillo Show, you'll be able to open the Netflix app to stream these titles and at least two dozen others.
One of the vodcast titles you'll see on Netflix next year.
Barstool Sports/Netflix
What does it mean for the future of TV?
The Hollywood Reporter has described Vancouver as a microdrama production hotspot, with a little bit of interest trickling in from Hollywood. And Netflix is not the only big streamer getting into the vodcast arena, as Prime Video streams new episodes each week of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. Streaming services and other media companies continue to test vertical video formats in different ways.
Viewers like you -- who watch TV on your phones -- should prepare for newer, broader forms of entertainment that include mini episodes and talk TV (aka vodcasts). Expect a bump in video podcasts access on your phones and TVs next year and beyond, but don't expect anyone trying to pry traditional weekly medical procedurals and hour-long bingeable episodes from your hands just yet. Streaming and cable are still on the menu, but they're also embedded into your phone screen, too.
I asked Katzenstein what all this says about each generation's preferences for content and how it's delivered.
"I think the level of access that younger generations have and that they have been trained to be used to has a big implication on their desire on where they want to engage," she said. "I think there's also the desire around having relevant content when I want it, how I want it -- it's something I think younger generations are just used to."
Keeping her own teen children in mind, Katzenstein explained that the idea of having to wait for access to theatrical films, or for something to arrive on streaming or linear TV -- released according to a big media provider's terms -- is "just completely different for generations that are growing up seeing people who are relevant to them." She added that entertainment companies will be pushed to understand that and meet the need.