From 140 to 110 Minutes: Why Turkish TV Wants Shorter Dizi Episodes

Turkish TV dramas may soon lose half an hour per episode. After the weakest October for television advertising in three decades, Türkiye’s production companies have proposed cutting the standard dizi episode from 140 minutes to a fixed 110 minutes. Broadcasters have not said yes yet: the deal depends on whether all channels agree to end their dramas at the same time. For international buyers, streamers and brands, the outcome will change how Turkish series are made, priced and sold abroad.

In brief

• 140 → 110 minutes: producers want a fixed 110-minute episode instead of today’s 140 minutes, according to Turkish TV reporter Birsen Altuntaş (13 November 2026).
• Why: a shorter episode removes the need for a fifth commercial break and for a second shooting crew, two of the biggest cost lines in a dizi budget.
• The context: channels have asked producers for discounts of about 25%; episodes cost 27–40 million lira, and only around 60% of ad slots sold in October 2026.
• The obstacle: channels that air entertainment formats after dramas (tv8 is named) could keep viewers longer, which others see as unfair competition. A common end time is expected but not agreed.
• The same day, broadcasters and producers met Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet to discuss the crisis.

What exactly are Turkish producers proposing?

A fixed 110-minute episode for every prime-time drama. Today a typical Turkish dizi runs about 140 minutes without commercials, and many shows stretch further. Once advertising is added, a single episode can occupy close to three hours of prime time.

According to Birsen Altuntaş, who first reported the proposal, the idea came from production companies as an answer to broadcasters’ demands for cheaper series. Instead of simply cutting fees, producers suggest cutting screen time: a shorter episode needs fewer shooting days, a smaller crew and less post-production. The proposal is still on the table, and no channel has formally announced a new format.

Several Turkish outlets, including ABC Gazetesi, Onedio and Medyafaresi, picked up the story within hours, which shows how closely the industry is following the negotiation.

Why would cutting 30 minutes save so much money?

Because a 140-minute episode forces channels and producers to pay for capacity the ad market no longer fills. Turkish broadcast rules set by the regulator RTÜK allow up to 12 minutes of advertising per hour. Over a three-hour prime-time slot that means up to 36 minutes of commercials, but the newspaper Karar reported on 12 November that nearly half of that time has been going unsold, and that ad slots were only about 60% full in October 2026.

The producers’ logic is simple:

• No fifth ad break. A shorter episode fits into fewer breaks, so channels do not have to sell inventory that buyers are not taking.
• No second unit. To deliver 140 minutes every week, most dizi shoot with two crews in parallel. At 110 minutes one crew can often handle the load.
• Lower above-the-line costs. Fewer shooting days reduce the bill for cast, locations and equipment. Karar reports that some lead actors earn up to 5 million lira per episode including extras.

What is blocking the deal?

Fear that one channel will win the evening while the others go dark. If dramas end 30 minutes earlier, channels need something to air in that freed-up slot. Broadcasters that run entertainment formats after their dramas, with tv8 named as the main example, would keep audiences watching late into the night. Channels that rely almost entirely on dramas see this as unfair competition, which is why the subheading of the original report stresses that no unfair advantage should be created.

The solution under discussion is a shared finishing time for all prime-time dramas. Birsen Altuntaş writes that channels are expected to agree on it, but no time has been announced. Until that happens, the 110-minute format remains a proposal rather than a rule.

Who is already paying the price?

The weakest shows. The advertising slump has been hitting Turkish television for weeks. At the end of October, TRBW Creative reported that seven dizi were pulled from the schedule in three nights, and on 7 November we described how channels demanded a 25% discount on episodes costing 27–40 million lira.

Now another casualty has emerged. According to Birsen Altuntaş, Halef: Köklerin Çağrısı, produced by Most Production and previously covered by us as a test case for ratings on NOW, will end next week, with the final scene to be shot in Şanlıurfa. The reason given: advertising revenue did not cover costs even after a discount. Other reports in the Turkish trade press say actors are being asked to accept lower fees if they want to stay employed.

What role does the government play?

A supportive one, but it cannot replace the ad market. On 13 November, channel representatives and producers met Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in Sultanahmet to exchange views on the crisis. No outcome was published.

The ministry already has a support scheme on the table. In February 2026 Ersoy announced that exported series promoting Türkiye could receive up to the lira equivalent of USD 100,000 per domestic episode, funded jointly by the ministry and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA). For the 40–45-minute episodes used abroad, the ceiling was reported at about USD 33,000. To qualify, a series must be broadcast in at least 10 countries on three continents, and evaluation looks at sales value, ratings and whether the markets are priority tourism markets.

That scheme rewards exports, not domestic airtime. It helps a hit that sells abroad, but it does little for a drama that is cancelled before it builds a library worth selling.

Could shorter episodes actually help Turkish series sell abroad?

Possibly, because international buyers already cut Turkish episodes down. Foreign broadcasters and streamers rarely air a two-hour episode. TRT World notes that distributors split Turkish episodes into 45-minute parts for most markets, and the ministry’s own scheme uses 40–45 minutes as the foreign standard.

A 110-minute master divides more cleanly into international slots, needs less re-editing and reduces dubbing and subtitling costs per domestic episode. Shorter episodes may also improve pacing, a common complaint from global viewers who are used to eight-episode streaming seasons.

Our take: what this means for buyers, distributors and brands

Our take: the 110-minute proposal is the first structural change in years to the way Turkish dramas are produced, not just a temporary discount. If channels agree on a common end time, expect the following:

• For international buyers: new seasons from late 2026 may arrive in a different shape. Ask distributors for both the domestic and international cut lists, and check whether episode counts in contracts are defined by domestic episodes or by 45-minute parts.
• For streamers and co-producers: lower budgets in Türkiye make co-financing more valuable. Platforms that commit early, as Prime Video and Disney+ have done with recent titles, gain leverage over format and length.
• For distributors: fewer cancellations mid-season would mean more complete libraries to sell, which matters more than a few minutes of runtime.
• For brands: unsold ad inventory means negotiating power. Product placement and sponsorship deals may be cheaper now than at any time in recent years, especially if combined with the ministry’s tourism-promotion incentives.
• Watch for: the agreed common end time, any change in RTÜK practice, and whether actors’ fees fall alongside budgets.

FAQ

How long is a typical Turkish TV series episode?

About 140 minutes without ads, and close to three hours of airtime with commercials. Producers now propose a fixed 110 minutes.

Has the 110-minute format been approved?

No. As of 14 November 2026 it is a proposal. Channels still need to agree on a common end time for dramas.

Why are Turkish channels cutting drama budgets?

October 2026 brought the weakest TV ad revenue in about 30 years, with roughly 60% of slots sold, while episodes cost 27–40 million lira. Channels have asked for discounts of about 25%.

Will shorter episodes change what foreign viewers see?

Not much at first. International versions are already re-cut into 40–45-minute parts. Shorter masters may mean fewer parts per season and tighter pacing.

Does the Turkish government support the series industry?

Yes. Since February 2026 exported series that promote Türkiye can receive up to about USD 100,000 per domestic episode from the ministry and TGA, subject to export conditions.

Sources

• Birsen Altuntaş, “Dizi sürelerinin kısalması için ortak karar bekleniyor”, 13 November 2026 — birsenaltuntas.com
• Birsen Altuntaş, “Halef dizisinin son sahnesi cumartesi günü çekilecek”, 13 November 2026 — birsenaltuntas.com
• Karar, on the series cost crisis, 12 November 2026 — karar.com
• NTV, “Dizi sektörüne dev destek”, February 2026 — ntv.com.tr
• TRT World, “How dramas shape Türkiye’s perception globally” — trtworld.com
• ABC Gazetesi, Onedio, Medyafaresi — follow-up reports, November 2026

This article is for information only. Figures are taken from the sources listed above; the 110-minute format had not been formally adopted at the time of publication.