The Big Short: Micro-dramas grow into $8 bn global business led by China

Micro-dramas are now a $26 bn global business, with China leading at $9.4 bn. India's start-ups are entering the race but the market size remains undefined

Micro dramas
Micro dramas: (L) If Only You Were Mine, (R) Dadi Ka Murabba (PHOTOS: Pocket films)
Vanita Kohli Khandekar Pune
1 min read Last Updated : Sep 17 2025 | 11:17 PM IST
Micro-dramas are now a $8 billion global business, and China is where the main action is. It is the biggest micro-drama market in the world, with $7 billion in advertising and pay revenues from the genre in 2024.  More than 830 million Chinese consume multiple seasons of these 2-3-minute episodes on ByteDance (Red Fruit), Tencent (WeChat Video Accounts), and Kuaishou (Xi Fan). Over 60 per cent pay, and the genre is very mainstream.  By the year-end, micro-dramas will overtake the domestic box-office in China, according to a report from Media Partners Asia. The US and Japan are the other major markets. While micro-dramas have taken off in India, with players like Flick TV, Reel Saga, and Chai Shots having raised between $2 million and $5 million (₹17 crore and ₹45 crore) each this year to build their micro-drama businesses, there has been no sizing of the market. 
 
 

One subscription. Two world-class reads.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :advertisingChinaBox office

Next Story