DIGITAL ECONOMY · ANALYSIS
Vurt brings its vertical series to Apple TV and Android TV
Vurt recently launched apps for Apple TV and Android TV. The vertical series platform is banking on free access funded by advertising and revenue sharing with creators. Whether it can broaden its audience on television remains to be established.
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Vurt is seeking to expand viewing of vertical series to television. According to The Verge, the platform recently launched dedicated apps for Apple TV and Android TV, providing access to 3,500 episodes across more than 100 programs. The exact launch date is not specified.
Since its launch in March, its user base has grown from 10,000 to 675,000, the outlet reports. These figures concern the platform as a whole: they do not measure adoption of its television apps. Co-founder Hilmon Sorey attributes this direction to requests from users who want to watch the series they already follow on their phones on a larger screen.
The business model relies on advertising partnerships that allow viewers to watch content for free. Vurt also enters into licensing agreements with studios and creators that provide for a 50/50 revenue split. Independent creators can submit their projects directly to the platform.
This expansion raises a distribution question: can a format associated with phones find a broader audience on a living-room screen? Sorey says engagement time increases among users of the TV apps, but no figures accompany this statement. It is therefore insufficient to establish a lasting change in habits. Free access and availability across multiple screens could make it easier to try the service; their effect on retention remains to be measured.