The news: Microdramas are becoming more than a passing trend.
- 42% of daily social media users watch short dramas daily, according to Ipsos data commissioned by Snap.
- Adoption is recent: 71% say they began consuming short dramas within the past year.
- 83% of daily social media users intend to watch short dramas in the future.
- Of individuals who have watched short dramas for at least a year, 61% say they watch more short-drama content now than a year ago.
Zooming out: The data points to a format that is moving from an emerging trend to a more mainstream viewing habit, while the broader entertainment market is showing similar signs of accelerating demand.
- Short drama app downloads increased 95.5% YoY in H1 2026, reaching 1.45 billion, per Mintegral data. Active advertisers, meanwhile, grew 132% YoY.
- That growth is translating into a larger US audience: US microdrama viewership on short drama-specific apps will more than double between 2026 and 2028, reaching 10.8 million, per our forecast.