(fyiteam)
Microdramas (or “short dramas” or “vertical series”) are very short series designed for mobile viewing, first emerging and developing in China (where they are called “Duanju”).
They are filmed in vertical format, with each episode typically lasting 1-3 minutes.
The most popular ones are romantic dramas with a simple plot structure and many plot twists, designed to leave viewers on cliffhangers, encouraging them to return to the series.
(fyiteam)
In apps like DramaBox, ShortMax, GoodShort, NetShort, and ReelShort, most of which are connected to Chinese companies.
Many of these platforms have a payment system, with ReelShort, for example, using a “virtual currency” that users spend to watch episodes.
Users can either purchase the currency directly or “earn” it by watching ads.
Most microdrama apps use TikTok and Instagram (Reels) to entice viewers with episode snippets, encouraging them to download the apps and watch the full series.
This seems to be effective: 66% of American TikTok users have paid for a microdrama.
The first microdrama to go viral on TikTok was “Fated to My Forbidden Alpha” on ReelShort in 2023.
*ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, owns one of the fastest-growing microdrama apps, Hongguo.
(fyiteam)
Last year, microdramas generated $6.9 billion in revenue in China, surpassing the domestic movie box office for the first time.
Meanwhile, their global net revenue has increased by 446% in just over a year, from $23.04 million in January 2024 to $125.77 million in March 2025.
(fyiteam)
Downloads of the 5 most popular microdrama apps increased by 10,516% (yes, really).
From 42,000 downloads per month in March 2023, they surged to 4.6 million by March 2025.
In comparison, downloads of major streaming platforms (e.g., Netflix, Disney+, Hulu) dropped from 10 million in March 2023 to 7.6 million in March 2025, with the gap between microdrama apps and streaming platforms narrowing significantly over two years.
Some apps reached 160,000 active monthly users in 2024.
(fyiteam)
Users from North America (including the U.S.) accounted for 61% of the total revenue from microdrama apps in 2023-2024, a figure significantly higher than that of the Asia-Pacific region (17%), where China is located, and Europe (12%).
At the same time, they represented 24% of total downloads (28% Asia-Pacific, 9% Europe) and 49% of the viewing time (26% Asia-Pacific).
(fyiteam)
The numbers are impressive, but the dependency of the growing microdrama industry in the U.S. is concerning.
This is because the main driver of microdramas*, TikTok, has not yet avoided the risk of a ban with certainty.
*33% of Americans learn about them through TikTok.
**The deadline for TikTok’s sale to an American company has been extended to June 19, with D. Trump aiming to extend it further.
