SINGAPORE: Micro-dramas, once a fringe curiosity, are now a juggernaut. China’s revenues rocketed from $0.5 billion in 2021 to $7 billion in 2024 and will overtake the domestic box office this year, according to Media Partners Asia’s latest study, The Micro Drama Economy 2025.
More than 830 million Chinese viewers are tuning in, nearly 60 per cent paying or transacting. Profitability is no longer theoretical: DramaBox booked $323 million in revenue and a $10 million net profit last year, while ReelShort (Crazy Maple Studio) has scaled fast despite heavy costs.
Outside China the market hit $1.4 billion in 2024 and is on track for $9.5 billion by 2030. Affluent women aged 30–60 drive demand in the United States, while younger mobile-first audiences dominate Asia.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating the boom, from content personalisation and rapid creative iteration in China to dubbing and localisation worldwide.
“There are too many players with limited differentiation and too much churn, but winners are emerging,” said MPA executive director Vivek Couto. “Production is cheap but distribution is costly. Success depends on speed, scale and repeatable IP. China shows what’s possible when content is tied to social and payments rails, while the US proves the global opportunity. Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Latin America are next.”
The report maps viewership patterns, key demographics and profitability benchmarks, charting how micro-dramas leapt from niche experiment to multi-billion-dollar global category.
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