New Delhi, Sept. 4 -- Premium web originals in India may be witnessing wide investments and increasing volume, thanks to aggressive bets by video streaming platforms, but the long-format content category continues to remain niche in the country.

According to media consulting firm Ormax, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter, the most viewed long-format web original in the first half of 2025, clocked in a viewership of only 27.7 million. In comparison, online video viewers increased 3% (15 million) in 2024 to reach 551 million, which is around 98% of active smartphones, according to a Ficci EY report.

Total time spent on social media and video consumption increased by 18% last year, with YouTube dominating the landscape, capturing 92% of all...