Streaming platforms offer a large number of series of different genres for users to enjoy. However, with the speed, immediacy and limited attention that characterize consumption on social networksseries in vertical format began to become popular, a type of content that is all the rage on TikTok.
In this casea series starring Sofía “Jujuy” Jiménez, Barbie Vélez and Lionel Ferro It is causing talk among users of the platform. “How to get rid of a football star” It’s a production made for ReelShort Latin America which, a few days after the premiere of its first chapters, went viral on networks and was quickly filled with comments for the interpretation of the Argentine actors. The story is divided into videos of just over a minute, with a plot typical of a typical soap opera that includes pregnancies, secrets, accidents and betrayals.
This is not the first series in vertical format. In fact, the ReelShort platform has several stories starring different actors and characters on its profile. It works like a kind of “Netflix on TikTok”, where each series is divided into very short chapters.
The logic consists to hook the viewer with one of those one-minute fragments so that they then enter the profile and continue the story. In general, these are stories captivating but at the same time very predictable, extremely dramatic and implausible, reminiscent of classic soap operas.
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The phenomenon of vertical series
Vertical series are fictions that are produced specifically for consumption on social networks and mobile devices in a 1080×1920 pixel format and an aspect ratio of 9:16. They are presented in very short episodes (approximately one minute) and its main objective is to capture the attention immediately and sustain the viewer’s interest chapter after chapter.
The vertical series emerged in China in 2010. At first they were homemade productions shared on TikTok. However, the phenomenon grew quickly and attracted the attention of large companies since they were less expensive to produce and easier to go viral. In this sense, according to the firm Media Partners Asia, the vertical series business has already raised more than 8 billion dollars.
The French-Taiwanese producer Vincent Wang defines them as “soap operas with cocaine.” The description points to its rhythm, its emotional intensity and the constant succession of conflicts. “In 30 days we can put together a series. Hollywood takes two years,” says Wang.
From the specialized media The Wrap they compare this phenomenon with the first years of YouTube: “In terms of growth, it is very reminiscent of the platform’s beginnings. The creators discovered a desire from the public that had not yet been satisfied.” It is about the interest in consuming long stories fragmented into chapters of just one minute with a dizzying narrative: drama, emotion, action, constant twists and suspenseful endings that force you to keep watching.
According to Forbes, platforms such as ReelShort, DramaBox y GoodShort currently dominate the vertical series market. Likewise, in Europe, MyDrama was launched in 2024 and some companies even began to sign agreements with traditional media. Fox Entertainment acquired a stake in Holywater, the company that owns MyDrama, while ReelShort partnered with Paramount.
“How to get rid of a football star”
The production revolves around a soccer player, played by Lionel Ferro, who marries the character of Barbie Vélez, a housewife who hides a secret.: She is actually a billionaire heiress to an important company. The villain of the story is Sofía Jujuy Jiménez, who plays a woman obsessed with staying with the soccer player. The plot is loaded with jealousy, betrayals, secrets and dramatic twists.
Many users criticized Jiménez’s performance as exaggerated.
“It is a format and a style that is really different from what we are used to in Argentina. It is all much more exaggerated and overacted,” Jiménez explained in response to criticism of his performance. In addition, he added: “It is viewed vertically and the episodes last around two minutes, so you have to hook people. Everything is extreme, but it is an intention. I was inspired by Soraya Montenegro and the bad guys at Disney. It has a childish touch, but at the same time it is a soap opera.”
This is not the first vertical series starring Argentine figures. At the end of 2024, “The Hotel of Secrets at Christmas” was also released, a fiction in vertical format starring former Big Brother contestants.
