Bill Block, the former Miramax boss, Artisan Entertainment founder and producer of Oscar-winning fare, has opened the doors to GammaTime, new micro-drama streaming platform. He is joined by former Google Gaming vet Slava Mudrykh, who’ll serve as chief revenue office, and Quibi vet Alex Montalvo, who’ll serve as chief content officer.
In their first round of financing funding, the trio has raised $14 million from lead investors vgames and Pitango, along with funds from Alexis Ohanian, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Traverse Ventures.
GammaTime launched this month on iOS and Android devices with more than 20 Hollywood-caliber vertical originals spanning suspense thriller, romantic melodramas and true crime. The platform hits the apps stores with a freemium model, allowing viewers to watch content before committing to full access.
The inaugural slate of programming will also feature original micro-dramas written by Anthony E. Zuiker of the CSI franchise.
Global micro-dramas, which are extremely popular in Asian markets, is a burgeoning format with revenues reportedly up 8,000% year-over-year in 2024, with the U.S. leading in consumer spending. Chinese micro-drama revenues now exceed traditional box office receipts, reaching $7 billion in 2024. To date, no premium domestic OTT service has emerged to embrace this potential audience.
GammaTime’s content strategy leverages predictive AI and rigorous testing protocols, and the
company counts David Stiff, founder of Vault AI, as a key strategic advisor. The data-driven approach’s m.o. is ensuring that engaging concepts enter production, maximize creative resources and minimize development waste.
“While early micro-drama apps proved the storytelling format works, they’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible,” said Block, GammaTime’s founder and CEO. “We are a demand-driven, technologically determined content app where the next billion consumers will discover premium stories to satisfy their appetite. Combine that interest with our creative talent and Slava Mudrykh’s mobile team of experts and we are well positioned to win in this category.”
“We’re bringing the same data-driven sophistication to storytelling that top mobile games use for player engagement,” added Mudrykh. “Every story is tested and optimized before full production. It’s not about replacing creativity — it’s about amplifying it by aligning with what audiences truly crave.”
“The global rise of micro-dramas is one of the most exciting shifts in media since streaming began,” says Gad Huldai, General Partner at Pitango. “Bill, Slava, and Alex are perfectly positioned to lead this category, combining storytelling mastery with mobile-native innovation. Pitango is proud to back a team that understands both audience emotion and platform mechanics.”
Daniel Mironov, Partner at vgames, adds: “It’s a privilege to back Slava after working together for many years. His deep expertise in mobile growth, combined with the Hollywood leadership and creativity of Bill and Alex, represents the natural evolution of the entertainment content space. We’re backing this exceptional team that thrives in red-ocean markets, where competition is fierce, but the upside belongs to those who execute better and scale smarter. Gamma is exactly that team.”
“Partnering with GammaTime is every writer’s dream realized. The team empowers creators with an always-green light, a culture of trust, and the freedom to deliver film after film without compromise,” Zuiker said. “At GammaTime, interference is replaced with innovation, and creativity is maximized at every turn. The vertical short represents not just the next chapter in cinema, but a revolution in how audiences consume story—because the movie theater no longer requires a seat and a screen, it now exists in the palm of your hand.”
“There are so many more genres to explore and customer segments to reach in this format,” says Montalvo. “Working with the best A-list and emerging talent right here in Hollywood, we will be the future of entertainment on your phone.”
Eight of GammaTime’s 22 series include two Zuiker originals (The Temptress & Lust Cop), two romance dramas (The Player & The Vengeance Affair), two true-crime stories based on Richard Ramirez and Karen Read’s prolific cases from past and present, and two viral cases reimagined (The Wife Remover and The Puppet Mistress).
