With attention now splintered across devices and formats, stories are being redesigned to fit into every available consumption window—from long-form screens to on-the-go audio.
Intellectual property (IP) owners are now taking stories across disparate formats, with television shows by broadcast network Zee Entertainment streaming on micro-drama platform Story TV and global franchises like Marvel finding new life through audio adaptations on platforms such as Audible and Pocket FM.
While such partnerships are still early in India, globally, studios have long extended popular franchises, including Marvel, into spin-offs and cross-format storytelling across platforms.
Industry experts say this is a capital-efficient way for IP owners to extend the universe and monetize catalogues without the production risk of large-scale formats. For new-age platforms such as those hosting micro-dramas, it accelerates adoption by new users without much marketing expense.
“Taking a known IP into formats like audio or micro-drama is about unlocking new value from existing storytelling equity. A strong story is not tied to one screen. If it has emotional depth and a loyal audience, it can travel,” said Vineet Singh, senior vice-president and global head - brand marketing and partnerships, Pocket FM. What makes it even more relevant today is behaviour, Singh added. For instance, audiences are consuming content in moments where screens are not practical. Audio fits into commutes, workouts, and daily routines. It expands attention, rather than competing for it.
The Zee and Story TV partnership signals how content consumption is evolving, according to Saurabh Pandey, founder and chief executive, Story TV. “For Zee, it monetizes a deep legacy library in a vertical format where Story TV leads, reaching younger mobile-native audiences that traditional television no longer captures," Pandey said. "For Story TV, it expands our 1,000-plus title slate and deepens engagement for users already spending over 80 minutes daily on the platform. Both sides get more from proven IP.”
Format shift
Beyond such experiments in audio and short-form video, IP owners are also beginning to explore more immersive formats as the next phase of this cross-platform strategy.
To be sure, such moves are less about recycling a title and more about reinterpreting it for how people consume stories today, according to many industry experts.
Writer and filmmaker Priyanshu Modi said attention spans and contexts have shifted. The same emotional core can live very differently in a 60-second vertical frame or inside someone’s headphones during a commute. “From a business lens, it’s actually smart. The IP owner extends the life of something that already has recall. You’re not starting from zero; you’re starting from memory. And for the new platform or creator, you’re getting cultural equity without the baggage of building awareness from scratch. It’s basically a case of nostalgia meeting new behaviour,” Modi said.
Swejal Gangan, associate vice-president, brand planning and strategy at digital marketing agency White Rivers Media, said stakeholders are deploying “greenfield originals with proven emotional equity” into newer, underpriced attention pools where consumption is faster, modular and native to digitally conditioned audiences. Simply put, this allows IP owners to extend the commercial life of their content, tap new discovery pathways beyond traditional viewing, and expand their audience across generational, linguistic and behavioural segments while staying culturally relevant. Each format helps offset risk for the other, creating a symbiotic hedge. Structurally, this shifts IP from being tied to a single format to becoming a scalable narrative that can plug into multiple audience behaviours and monetization mode
That said, while the perils of narrative fatigue and brand dilution cannot be overlooked, some believe it would be an exaggeration to say there is a complete audience overlap.
“From a legal economic lens, overuse may not only erode the distinctiveness of the brand but also result in diminishing returns on its licensing value, something the right holders must be cautious of. Another challenge that may arise is alteration of narrative integrity leading to audience disassociation. In order to avoid such situations, releases should be staggered and each new format should add value to the original IP rather than being repetitive,” said Simrean Bajwa, IP lawyer and global partnerships lead at BITS Law School.
Formats such as audio and micro-dramas currently have a smaller and niche user base compared to film and TV, so they are seen more as value-additions.
To be sure, beyond these announcements, IP owners are increasingly exploring transitions into emerging formats such as gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and interactive experiences. These formats represent new opportunities to engage audiences in more immersive and dynamic ways, whether it’s through interactive storytelling in games or creating virtual worlds that allow fans to explore their favourite IPs in a whole new way.
Yorick Pinto, senior creative director BC Web Wise, a digital marketing agency, said these formats offer deeper, more engaging experiences, especially for tech-savvy, younger audiences. By expanding into these areas, IP owners can build cross-platform ecosystems, where fans interact with the brand in various forms, from gaming to virtual events, strengthening brand loyalty and engagement. However, the cost and complexity of creating high-quality content across these formats can be daunting, especially when scaling. It requires significant investment in technology, skilled resources, and new production processes. Not every IP is suited for these transitions either, Pinto pointed out.
“Some people will watch the film and listen to the audio series. That's a superfan, and they're happy to consume across formats because they love the world you've built but most people won't. Most people will choose the format that fits their life. Cinema-goers want the big screen experience, commuters want audio, scrollers want micro-dramas,” said Harikrishnan Pillai, CEO and co-founder of digital agency TheSmallBigIdea. “Micro-dramas and audio don't expire, they sit on a platform, and people come to them when they're ready. Maybe today, maybe six months from now, when they're nostalgic.”
In that sense, the format becomes secondary, as stories increasingly adapt to the many ways people choose to engage with them.