Short-form surge challenges Netflix and Disney

Microdramas generated an estimated $11 billion in global revenue and overtook major streaming platforms in daily mobile viewing time in the United States during 2025, according to a report from market analysis firm Omdia.

The research found that microdramas are rapidly emerging as one of the fastest-scaling formats in online video, reshaping how audiences consume content on mobile devices.

Omdia’s analysis of mobile usage data shows that in the US, users now spend more time per day watching microdramas on mobile apps than they do watching Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video on mobile devices.

The firm estimates that global microdrama revenues reached $11 billion in 2025 and will grow to $14 billion by the end of 2026.

Of that total, $3 billion will be generated outside China, with the US now the largest international market.

By 2026, the US is projected to account for 50 per cent of all microdrama revenues outside China, reaching $1.5 billion and underlining the format’s rapid global expansion.

“Microdramas are no longer a niche experiment. They are becoming a core driver of mobile video engagement,” said Maria Rua Aguete, head of media and entertainment at Omdia, speaking at MIP London.

“What stands out is not just revenue growth, but the intensity of usage. On mobile, microdrama apps are generating more daily viewing time than the world’s biggest streaming platforms,” she added.

Typically lasting one to two minutes, vertically formatted and designed mobile first, microdramas primarily target women aged 25 to 45, although new genres are seeking to attract more male and broader audiences.

Discovery of the format is driven through platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Omdia’s analysis of fourth-quarter 2025 mobile usage data from Sensor Tower shows that in the US, microdrama apps such as ReelShort generate higher daily mobile viewing time than major streaming services.

ReelShort recorded 35.7 minutes per user per day, compared with 24.8 minutes for Netflix, 26.9 minutes for Amazon Prime Video and 23.0 minutes for Disney+.

While Netflix continues to lead in monthly active mobile users in the US, with around 12 million compared with 1.1 million for ReelShort, engagement intensity tells a different story.

“Microdramas are winning the battle for attention, rather than scale, at least for now,” Aguete added.

“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,” she continued.

With companies such as YouTube engaging audiences on mobiles and increasingly on television sets, streamers including Netflix and Disney need vertical and short content to drive engagement on mobile phones.

The microdrama trend is accelerating in international markets, with similar patterns emerging beyond the United States.

In the UK, FlickReels generates higher daily usage than Amazon Prime Video, at 22.39 minutes compared with 21.47 minutes.

In Mexico, DramaBox outpaces Amazon Prime Video, with 27.9 minutes compared with 23.8 minutes, and also exceeds Disney+, which records 22.5 minutes.

Traditional media players are adapting to this shift, with platforms such as TelevisaUnivision’s ViX in Mexico and GloboPlay in Brazil embedding short-form serial content within advertising-supported and freemium ecosystems to boost engagement and reach.

Omdia’s analysis suggests that global streamers face increasing pressure to close the mobile engagement gap with social platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, where users spend nearly 80 minutes per day.

“Vertical video strategies, including microdramas, are becoming a logical next step for streamers that want to increase mobile usage without cannibalizing their long-form premium content,” Aguete concluded.

“Microdramas are not replacing TV or streaming, but they are reshaping how audiences consume storytelling on mobile,” she said.

Beyond content platforms, microdramas are also creating new opportunities for telecom operators, offering what Omdia describes as a structural opportunity rather than merely a content trend.

These mobile-first, short-form videos are characterised as highly addictive, low-cost and optimised for daily engagement, making them well suited to mobile consumption.

As telecom operators face pressure on average revenue per user, commoditised connectivity, customer churn and heavy 5G investment requirements, microdramas could serve as a bundled value-add, a churn reduction tool, an advertising-funded partnership opportunity and a data-driven engagement engine.

Omdia concluded that microdramas are reshaping mobile video consumption globally, opening up strategic opportunities for telecom operators, streaming platforms and content creators alike.