Starting in 2023, the success of short dramas has become undeniable. According to ChinaDaily, the market size for China's online micro-dramas reached 37.39 billion yuan in 2023, marking a year-on-year growth of 267.65%. By 2027, this market is projected to expand to 100 billion yuan.

However, is the success of short dramas solely due to their fast-paced plots and the pervasive element of "fun"? 

Imagine a cross between a TV soap opera and a TikTok reel. That’s the essence of short drama apps, originally created in China and now rapidly gaining traction in international markets. Each episode is just one to two minutes long, with a typical series featuring around 100 episodes.

Designed for phone screens and shorter attention spans, these low-budget, simplified stories revolve around betrayal, revenge, family drama, and star-crossed lovers—essentially any plot twist that amps up the drama and keeps viewers hooked with cliffhanger after cliffhanger. Character development takes a backseat to the intense, quick-hitting drama that makes these shows perfect for binge-watching, even if you’ve only got a minute to spare.

Unlike traditional TV dramas or online series, short dramas typically lack significant production budgets and platform support. Without post-production promotion, these dramas face a high risk of obscurity. Their success largely hinges on investments in streaming traffic, relying on exposure across various platforms to generate returns.

In traditional marketing, TV commercials share similar characteristics with short dramas. Due to market constraints, limited broadcast platforms, and restricted dissemination channels, TVCs struggle to generate positive brand feedback without substantial traffic support, let alone profitability. Expanding this analogy to basic marketing strategies, whether through viral posts, short video promotions, or ranking recommendations, it’s increasingly challenging to stand out online amidst complex, homogeneous content. 

More than 40 Chinese short drama apps have entered global markets, collectively amassing nearly 55 million downloads and generating $170 million in in-app purchases. The U.S. is currently the biggest consumer of overseas short drama apps, providing 60—70% of these apps’ total revenue outside of China.

Advertising is key to the short drama apps success, making it a smart investment that brings in a highly profitable user base. While the cost of producing a show is relatively low—around $150,000 for a remake in the U.S. and even less for a dubbed original—millions are invested in promoting these shows to potential viewers. But with big advertising budgets come big rewards. And Mobupps has it’s own case study regarding the short drama app success.