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Vurt

Vurt is a Miami-based free streaming platform for vertical video founded by music executive Ted LucasTed LucasTed Lucas is a Miami music and technology entrepreneur who founded the independent hip-hop label Slip-N-Slide Records in 1994, launching artists such as Trick Daddy and Trina; he later co-founded the tech hub The Source with Hilmon Sorey and founded the vertical-video platform Vurt.Open the full entry; it focuses on vertical microdramas mostly made with human casts, uses an ad-supported model with non-exclusive licensing and a 50/50 revenue split, and launched publicly in March 2026.

Contents8 sections
Key facts

First iOS App Version

Its Apple App Store listing shows the Vurt app is published by VURT Corporation under the tagline “Home Of The Vertical Creators,” with version 1.0 dated February 19 and a 2026 copyright; the developer website link points to myvurt.com.⁠[1]

Public Launch

The report said creators can submit work directly, with approved titles going live within 48 to 72 hours, and that the platform is free and ad-supported (AVOD), signing non-exclusive licensing agreements with a 50/50 revenue split.⁠[2]

Origins and Team

TechCrunch said the idea came from founder Ted Lucas, the founder of Slip-N-Slide Records, and the difficulty he had distributing his documentary Miami Kingpins; he said not every content creator and filmmaker has the resources.⁠[2]

Native Apple TV and Android TV Apps

On October 11, 2026 The Verge published Charles Pulliam-Moore’s interview with co-founder Hilmon Sorey, and several outlets reported from it that Vurt had released dedicated Apple TV and Android TV apps, bringing vertical microdramas to widescreen TVs.⁠[3][4]

Sorey said the move began with users wanting to watch their phone verticals on big screens: “At first, we first developed the ability for folks to cast to smart TVs.” Native TV apps followed, supporting HD and 4K video and higher-quality audio.⁠[5][4]

Free, Ad-Supported and Human-Made

The coverage said Vurt remains free and ad-supported; Sorey criticised rivals’ coin bundles as “a ruse that they can use to boggle your mind.” Unlike the AI-generated content common on platforms such as DramaBox and ReelShort, most of Vurt’s series are made with human casts and crews.⁠[5][4]

By the company’s figures the platform carries about 3,500 episodes across more than 100 shows, with users rising from 10,000 at the March launch to 675,000; Gadget Hacks noted that these numbers are company-reported and not independently verified. The company also plans original series and livestreamed sporting events.⁠[4][6][5]

WLRN on Its Microdrama Model

WLRN reported that Vurt’s microdramas typically run 30 to 90 episodes of two to three minutes each, built around cliffhangers, for phones and connected TVs, alongside original and licensed titles such as My First Love, with advertising revenue shared equally with creators.⁠[7]

It added that Vurt has partnered with the Urban Film Festival in Miami’s Overtown to give festival filmmakers a route to distribution, and that Vurt sits within The Source, a Black-owned tech hub founded by Lucas and Sorey. Sorey said he wanted to “cement South Florida as an epicenter for mobile-first storytelling.”⁠[7]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

Sources

  1. Vurt (opens in a new window)
  2. Meet Vurt, the mobile-first streaming platform for indie filmmakers embracing vertical video (opens in a new window)
  3. Weekly News: Microdrama Business (opens in a new window)
  4. Vurt Is Bringing Vertical Microdramas to Apple TV and Android TV (opens in a new window)
  5. Vurt Takes Vertical Microdramas From Phones to the Living Room TV (opens in a new window)
  6. Vurt Vertical Video Streaming App: What to Check First (opens in a new window)
  7. Beyond social media: How Miami-based vertical movie app empowers independent filmmakers (opens in a new window)
  8. Vurt (opens in a new window)