Mansa Unveils New Vertical Micro-Dramas, Debuting With Original Series

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Launching during Black History Month, Mansa, the free streaming platform for curated global Black content, today unveiled a new vertical micro-drama feature inside the Mansa app, expanding its mobile-first approach to the original storytelling ecosystem. Purpose-built for serialized, short-form content, the platform debuts with The Heiress, The Baller & The Secret Society, a 27-episode original vertical micro-drama available exclusively on Mansa. As short-form vertical content continues to grow as a major category in entertainment, Mansa is expanding into the format with a focus on scripted storytelling, cultural specificity, and creator opportunity.

“Vertical storytelling gives us the ability to deliver high-impact narratives that reflect modern viewing habits while still honoring the depth, nuance, and artistry our community deserves,” said Nate Parker, Co-Founder and CEO of Mansa. “From the beginning, our mission has been to build a platform where Black creators globally can thrive and experiment. This new vertical experience opens the door to an entirely new creative frontier.”

The launch marks an important step for Mansa, expanding beyond traditional long-form streaming into narratives purpose-built for mobile viewing and offering audiences stories in shorter, episodic formats without sacrificing emotional weight or production value. Available natively within the Mansa app in the US, UK, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Brazil, the vertical micro-drama experience requires no VPN, making culturally resonant storytelling instantly accessible to global audiences.

The vertical micro-drama experience lives exclusively in the Mansa app, developed to support a growing slate of short-form originals throughout 2026 and beyond. In addition to premium releases, the feature offers emerging Black creators opportunities to experiment with serialized storytelling, build audiences within the Mansa ecosystem, and engage with a rapidly evolving content format.

The first title to launch on the platform, The Heiress, The Baller & The Secret Society, is a romantic thriller about love, power, and the dangerous cost of legacy, told across 27 bite-sized episodes designed for mobile audiences. Produced by Nate Parker and Ammon Lyle, directed by Byron Manuel, and starring Shala White, Cortney Elise, Justin Davis, and Diego Escobar, the series centers on a young heiress forced into an arranged engagement to protect her family’s empire. The series joins the thousands of hours of films and series, along with more than 25 live TV channels, currently available for free in the Mansa app and is the first release in Mansa’s 2026 vertical micro-drama slate, with additional originals to be announced in the coming months.

Mansa is the only streaming service with a fully integrated technology stack designed to support vertical serialized storytelling, enabling creators to release micro-dramas and allowing viewers to watch and pay per episode directly within the app.

About Mansa Studios

Mansa Studios is a global media company and studio showcasing diaspora-focused content for a worldwide audience. Co-founded by award-winning filmmakers David Oyelowo and Nate Parker, Mansa creates and distributes the culture that shapes global culture through film, television, short-form content, and a growing portfolio of digital platforms, including its free, ad-supported streaming service and 24/7 digital linear channels. Operating as a full-service studio and distribution company, Mansa supports projects across the entire lifecycle- from theatrical release to digital, streaming, and emerging formats, including vertical micro-dramas. Available across connected TV and mobile devices, Mansa has raised $12 million in seed funding led by MaC Venture Capital, with participation from WndrCo, Galaxy Investment Partners, Base Ventures, Rainmaker Films, Black Capital VC, K Period Media, and Robert F. Smith.

To learn more, visit www.mansa.com

To access the media kit, click here