RTL+ Partnership with Inkitt CandyJar, Digi Mart USA News: RTL is taking cautious first steps into the much-hyped microdrama market by integrating the first episodes of several series from Inkitt CandyJar into RTL+. Viewers who want to keep watching, however, will have to switch to the provider.
Inkitt and RTL Deutschland have announced a cooperation in the booming field of vertical dramas. Under the agreement, the first episodes of selected romance series from Inkitt CandyJar will be streamed directly in RTL+’s mobile apps and on the web.
Viewers who want to watch more than one episode will be directed to the Inkitt CandyJar app, where the content is available only for an additional fee. The 50 free coins offered to RTL+ users cover just one further episode.
The arrangement is primarily promotion for Inkitt CandyJar, which hopes to reach a larger audience for its content in Germany. RTL, however, also hopes to gain insights from the initiative.
Henning Nieslony, EVP Streaming at RTL, said: “Vertical drama is an exciting new form of storytelling, especially for a mobile-first audience. With Inkitt CandyJar we have a strong partner who brings a deep understanding of this format.
The collaboration gives us valuable insight into how vertical drama is received by our audience and what potential the format holds for our streaming business.”
The series teased by RTL include “Fight Dirty (Freiheitskämpfer),” “The Arrangement (Das unmoralische Angebot),” “Life Is Not a Game (Das Leben ist kein Spiel),” “Loving My Brother’s Best Friend (Verliebt in den besten Freund meines Bruders)” and “His Nerd (Seine Streberin).” Inkitt’s business model begins with authors publishing their works in written form through its free Inkitt app. Artificial intelligence is then used to identify stories with particular potential for success, which are developed into other formats.
These can include microdramas, audio content or “serial premium fiction.”
Ali Albazaz, founder and CEO of Inkitt, said: “With billions of streamed episodes, Inkitt CandyJar has shown that microdramas are not a niche but a new format with a huge audience worldwide. Germany is one of the most important entertainment markets in the world, and for this next step there is no better partner for us than RTL+.
This is the first of many steps to make Inkitt CandyJar accessible to audiences outside the USA.”
