Microdramas are emerging as one of the fastest-scaling formats in online video, with US users now spending more time per day watching microdramas on mobile apps than Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video on mobile devices, according to Omdia.
Speaking at MIP London, Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at Omdia, said the format has moved beyond experimentation and is becoming a core driver of mobile video engagement.
Omdia estimates global microdrama revenues reached $11 billion (€10.1bn) in 2025 and will grow to $14 billion (€12.9bn) by the end of 2026. Of that total, $3 billion (€2.8bn) will be generated outside China, with the US now the largest international market.
By 2026, the US is forecast to account for 50% of all microdrama revenues outside China, reaching $1.5 billion (€1.4bn), underlining the format’s rapid global expansion.
Microdramas, typically 1–2 minutes in length and vertically formatted for mobile-first consumption, primarily target women aged 25–45, though new genres are seeking to broaden appeal. Discovery is largely driven through platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Omdia’s analysis of Q4 2025 mobile usage data from Sensor Tower shows that in the US, microdrama apps such as ReelShort generate higher daily mobile viewing time per user than major streaming services:
• ReelShort: 35.7 minutes per user per day
• Netflix: 24.8 minutes
• Amazon Prime Video: 26.9 minutes
• Disney+: 23.0 minutes
While Netflix continues to lead in monthly active mobile users in the US, with around 12 million compared with 1.1 million for ReelShort, Omdia argues that engagement intensity tells a different story.
“Microdramas are winning the battle for attention, rather than scale, at least for now,” Aguete said. “This is the metric streamers care about most as they look to grow mobile usage and compete with social video platforms where daily engagement is approaching 80 minutes.”
Internationally, the trend is also accelerating. In the UK, FlickReels generates higher daily usage than Amazon Prime Video (22.39 minutes versus 21.47 minutes). In Mexico, DramaBox outpaces both Amazon Prime Video (27.9 minutes versus 23.8 minutes) and Disney+ (22.5 minutes).
Traditional media players are adapting to the shift. Platforms including TelevisaUnivision’s ViX in Mexico and GloboPlay in Brazil are embedding short-form serial content within AVOD and freemium ecosystems to boost engagement and reach.
Omdia suggests global streamers face increasing pressure to close the mobile engagement gap with social platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Vertical video strategies, including microdramas, could offer a way to increase mobile usage without cannibalising long-form premium content.
The format also presents potential opportunities for telcos, which are under pressure from ARPU constraints, commoditised connectivity and 5G investment costs. Omdia says microdramas could serve as bundled value-adds, churn reduction tools, ad-funded partnership vehicles and data-driven engagement engines.
