There is an energy building around shortform content once again as ‘microdrama’ builds enormous momentum in China and spreads across Asia. But after the swift and spectacular combustion of Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi in 2020, are Western media companies still firm in their conviction that there’s nothing to see here?
Microdrama, characterised by fast-paced, concise, soapy storytelling (videos are usually one to two minutes long) has caught fire on platforms such as Chinese short video app Kuaishou and TikTok sibling app Douyin.
These vertical-video platforms are driving enormous consumption with bite-sized scripted stories typically revolving around romance, revenge and rags-to-riches takes. It has become a major money spinner almost overnight, with some estimating the sector generated revenues of around US$5.3bn in 2023. Projections suggest it could almost treble by 2027.
