Move over, soap operas, China’s micro dramas are stealing the spotlight. These fast, vertical, bite sized videos have exploded in popularity, racking up billions in revenue and even surpassing the country’s box office earnings in 2024.

According to the China Netcasting Services Association, the market for micro dramas hit 50 billion yuan (about $6.9 billion) last year. And now, the craze is making waves in the U.S. too.

What Exactly Are Micro Dramas?

In China, they’re called duanju, and each episode runs just 90 seconds to two minutes long. Think soap operas, but supercharged.

As Anne Chan, founder and CEO of AR Asia Production, puts it:
“In the States, you have the soap opera ‘The Bold and The Beautiful.’ And it’s basically that on steroids. You need a cliffhanger every minute instead of every hour. Everything is sweet, short, and sharp.”

The format took off on platforms like Douyin (China’s TikTok) and Kuaishou, especially during the pandemic years when people were glued to their phones and hungry for quick entertainment.

Logo for TikTok on the left with the Douyin logo on the right.

Why Are They So Addictive?

Micro dramas are designed for today’s mobile first, always on audience. Each episode packs in high drama, over the top emotions, and constant cliffhangers, so it’s impossible to watch just one.

“They’re tapping into the behavior of instant gratification,” says Seema Shah, VP of research at Sensor Tower. “The way that you’re immediately satisfied by the story is the hook. It’s over the top, but it’s still entertaining.”

In other words: it’s snackable entertainment with a binge worthy twist.

A red and white striped popcorn box with a scalloped edge. The box is full of yellow buttery popcorn.

The U.S. Is Catching On

Micro dramas aren’t just a Chinese phenomenon anymore. In fact, apps like ReelShort, DramaBox, and GoodShort are climbing U.S. app store charts, making up nearly half of all micro drama downloads in 2025, according to Sensor Tower.

And the industry sees America as the key to going global.


“Many producers believe that if you can make it appealing to the American public, you can sell it to the rest of the world,” explains Ashley Dudarenok, founder of Hong Kong consultancy ChoZan.

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