The news: Microdramas are undergoing rapid growth with both audiences and advertisers, according to Mintegral data shared with Marketing Dive.
- Short drama app downloads increased 95.5% YoY in H1 2026 to 1.45 billion, well above the 16.6% growth for other non-gaming apps.
- Active advertisers on microdrama apps grew 132% YoY, while creative output surged 151%.
- Emerging markets led growth. Southeast Asia led with 518 million downloads and Latin America with 355 million.
The trend: Microdramas are moving further into the mainstream.
- US microdrama viewership will more than double between 2026 and 2028, rising from 5 million to 10.8 million, per our forecast.
- Microdrama production is also growing rapidly. Projects on microdrama app ReelShort increased 2.7 times between 2024 and 2025, while DramaShorts projects rose 2.4 times, per the Los Angeles Times.
- These apps now command more US daily mobile viewing time than Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, according to an Omdia analysis of Sensor Tower data.