China Innovation Watch

China Innovation Watch

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China Innovation Watch
China Innovation Watch
Short drama apps just had their biggest quarter ever
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Short drama apps just had their biggest quarter ever

With $3.3B in revenue and 259M downloads, bite-sized soap operas are taking over phones from Jakarta to São Paulo—powered by China, translated scripts, and a flood of ads.

Apr 24, 2025
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China Innovation Watch
China Innovation Watch
Short drama apps just had their biggest quarter ever
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  • Global revenue from short drama apps hit ¥24B ($3.3B) in Q1 2025, up 23% from Q4.

  • Downloads surged 64% to 259 million installs across mobile platforms.

  • Female-targeted romance and revenge plots dominate global engagement and monetization.

  • Translated Chinese dramas make up 50% of content, but local originals now drive higher retention.

  • Ad creative volume reached 1.27 million, matching 70% of 2024’s full-year total—in just one quarter.

They’re short. They’re messy. They’re addictive. And they’re raking in billions.

Short dramas—bite-sized, soap-opera-style videos delivered through mobile apps—have exploded globally.

Typically made up of 1-3 minute episodes with low budgets, fast pacing, and outrageous plot twists, these micro-dramas are designed to be scrolled, binge-watched, and paid for, often behind a paywall.

And in Q1 2025, they went stratospheric.

$3.3 billion in three months

According to new data from DataEye, global short drama apps pulled in ¥24 billion (~$3.3B) in Q1 2025, driven by a holiday content boom, a flood of new platforms, and relentless ad campaigns.

That’s up 23% from Q4 2024, with downloads jumping 64% to 259 million.

In other words: people aren’t just watching. They’re paying.

Three key drivers powered the surge:

  • Holiday binge windows (Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s)

  • 1.27 million ad creatives flooding TikTok, Meta, and other platforms

  • New apps entering the fray with fresh content and aggressive spend

Where the money is

📈 Top markets by revenue:

  • United States – $162M

  • Japan – $32.2M

  • Southeast Asia – $30.6M

Together, those three accounted for 67% of global short drama app revenue.

📲 Top markets by downloads:

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