'Vertical dramas', or 'micro dramas', are crafted specifically for mobile viewing, shot in a vertical format to fit phone screens. Short, bite-sized, and easy to binge, these mini soap operas are booming as viewers increasingly consume content on the go.

Hollywood

Vertical dramas, also known as micro-dramas, are short-form soap operas created specifically for mobile phones. These series, often produced on small budgets with inexperienced actors, feature episodes lasting just one to three minutes and are designed to quickly engage viewers with fast-paced storytelling and frequent cliffhangers.

Currently, Chinese studios lead the production of these dramas, but the format is expanding globally, especially in the United States. The market is expected to reach $14 billion by 2027, prompting major Hollywood companies to invest in vertical content. The genre is anticipated to diversify beyond romance into comedy, horror, and true crime, attracting influencers and experienced actors as budgets increase.

'Vertical dramas': the rise of mobile-first mini soap operas

They're soap operas for the digital age, with cringey titles like Loving My Brother's Best Friend and The Quarterback Next Door. Filmed specifically to be watched on phones, vertical dramas, or micro-dramas, are booming, gripping millions around the world. I keep describing Vertical as a soap opera in a nutshell, or a soap opera in cocaine. We're so fast, every second there's a story happening. Micro-dramas tend to have micro-budgets and feature inexperienced actors. Production is currently dominated by Chinese studios, including this series titled Love Through All Seasons, filming in a Los Angeles mansion. The drama unfolds in episodes that last just one to three minutes, quick dopamine hits of content that often end in cliffhangers. Right now it feels like this is the future of, you know, the way that people are getting dramatic content, right? I think many actors and many people in Hollywood are kind of waking up to how awesome this format is. So usually you're leading, like, with some elements and genre, you know, elements that audiences are familiar with, but then charge them with emotions so the audience can be hooked right away without using too much of their brain, you know, everyone's exhausted from their life already. Many vertical platforms let viewers watch a few episodes for free, and then they have to pay or watch ads to access the rest. Right now, most viewership is in China, but it's expanding rapidly, especially in the U.S. The format has experienced such a boom, the market is predicted to be worth $14 billion by 2027. Seeing the dollar signs, Hollywood is getting in on the action. Big players, including Fox Entertainment, are buying stakes in vertical production companies or starting their own. But some vertical producers don't think Hollywood mega-studios can keep up. How can they compete with us? We have 30 days, 30 days we get a show together. Hollywood have two years. We already made 500 shows by the time they made their first show. Who is the future? The future of vertical dramas is likely to expand beyond junky romance and werewolf stories into comedy, horror, and true crime. Increased budgets could also attract influencers and more experienced actors looking to cash in on this micro-drama gold rush.

Google subsidiary YouTube has criticized an Australian law banning social media accounts for under-16s, arguing the legislation set to start Dec 10 makes young users of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube less safe.

Canberra

YouTube attacks Australia's underage social media ban

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on a revised Ukraine peace plan but left without a deal. Russia insists on territorial gains, army cuts, and blocking NATO membership, while Zelenskyy calls for long-term deterrence against future aggression.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

U.S. envoys Kushner, Witkoff leave Kremlin without Ukraine deal

Republican comfortably beats Democratic challenger after polls showed candidates in a close race in US state.

Tennessee

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Washington

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Putin says Russia is 'ready' if Europe wants war

OpenAI has declared a "code red" as Google threatens to unseat the AI industry's early leader, according to the Wall Street Journal. Technology journalist Jacob Ward joins CBS News to discuss.

California

OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google threatens its AI lead

Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday (December 2) for talks on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.

Putin meets Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner for Ukraine peace talks

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the deadly boat strikes in the region near Venezuela and Colombia have "only just begun." This comes as Republicans and Democrats in Congress question the legality of the military action.

Hegseth defends boat strikes near Venezuela during Cabinet meeting

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Pokrovsk

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Major rescue and recovery efforts are underway across Southeast Asia after a series of severe storms battered the region displacing millions and killing more than 1,100 people.

Nuwara Eliya

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Tegucigalpa

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Airbus must inspect hundreds of its A320 jets for potential quality flaws in the plane's body as a total of 628 aircraft contain panels that may be too thick or too thin due to a manufacturing issue at a supplier.

Blagnac

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U.S. President Trump warns against actions that could ‘interfere with Syria’s evolution’ amid new Israeli incursions and strikes.

Damascus

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Monday is World AIDS Day. It has been recognized globally since 1988, but this year, the U.S. government is not commemorating it for the first time.

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Operation "Swamp Sweep," a monthslong immigration crackdown centered in New Orleans, is set to begin Monday. CBS News national reporter Kati Weis has the details.

New Orleans

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Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was in a New York City courtroom on Monday for a pre-trial hearing focused on what evidence the jury will see. CBS News' Anna Schecter has the details.

New York

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West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday that Andrew Wolfe, the second National Guardsman shot in Washington, D.C., last week, has woken up from an induced coma.

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Caracas

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Steve Witkoff, one of President Trump's key envoys helping negotiate a peace proposal between Russia and Ukraine, is set to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Kremlin says. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Trump envoy set to meet with Putin in Moscow, Russia confirms

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Kyiv

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Thousands rallied outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv, urging him to reject a pardon request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces fraud charges. Demonstrators held signs demanding accountability and warned that approval could undermine justice in Israel.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Miami

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in his long-running corruption cases to the Israeli president. Herzog says he will "sincerely consider the request."

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Paris

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Entire areas of Sri Lanka's capital were flooded on Sunday after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island, with authorities reporting nearly 200 dead and dozens more missing.

Colombo

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Top Trump administration officials are meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Florida this weekend, pushing to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Florida

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President Trump intensified his pressure campaign on Venezuela on Saturday. He posted that the airspace around the country is "closed in its entirety." It comes amid growing pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step down.

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Negotiators for Ukraine are headed to Florida for further peace talks with Trump administration officials. The visit comes amid new deadly air assaults across Ukraine.

Breakdown