YouTube adds seasons and episodes to Shorts, citing microdrama growth

YouTube announced Shorts series at its Made on YouTube event on 23 September 2026. The feature lets creators structure Shorts into seasons and episodes, with custom thumbnails and sequential playback, and builds on the company's existing Creator Shows format. YouTube said the feature was rolling out to creators across web, mobile and TV from the same day. It did not publish a list of markets; its German-language announcement described the feature as available now.

YouTube used the word microdrama itself. According to the company, microdramas on YouTube surpassed 6.5bn views in the first half of 2026, watch time grew by more than 50% year on year, and views of microdrama content on TV screens rose by more than 90% year on year.

The announcement did not introduce a new paywall. Kurt Wilms, senior director of product management for YouTube on TV, told The Hollywood Reporter that creators seeking microdrama subscriptions can use the existing channel memberships feature, for example by offering a few episodes free and reserving the rest for members. TechCrunch reported that the rollout applies to creators in the YouTube Partner Program; YouTube's own announcement does not state that condition.