China's minidramas make big splash with $6bn-plus market

Demand for fast-paced, bite-size content fuels burgeoning industry

20241203N China streaming apps

Minidramas, also known as microdramas, have proliferated on such platforms as Douyin. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)

TOMOKO WAKASUGI, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- Short dramas running just a few minutes per episode continue to gain in popularity in China, with the market on track to grow 35% this year alone, supporting the rise of a broader industry to feed the growing demand.

The market for these minidramas -- also known as microdramas -- is seen reaching 48.4 billion yuan ($6.64 billion), and iResearch forecasts it doubling between 2024 and 2028.

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