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The Global Rise of Vertical Short Drama Platforms (1/2)

Previously, we gave a broad overview of short dramas and the current state of the market. Now, in this two-part series, we’ll take a closer…

Real Reel™

11 Aug 2025 — 4 min read

Previously, we gave a broad overview of short dramas and the current state of the market. Now, in this two-part series, we’ll take a closer look at the international short-drama market in detail.

This first part covers:

The definition of international vertical short dramas and their two main content types: local dramas and translation dramas.
The factors driving market growth globally.
The differences between translation and local production in terms of cost, ROI, and audience impact.
The top platforms worldwide and their performance in revenue and downloads.

The second part will focus on:

Regional market breakdowns for revenue and downloads.
The main monetization models in use and how they perform in different markets.
Emerging trends such as the rise of local production, animation/interactive formats, and AI-driven content creation.

Part 2 will be published this Friday.

Defining the International Short-Drama Boom

Vertical short dramas are bite-sized video narratives, usually a few minutes per episode, designed for mobile viewing and aimed at global audiences. Within dedicated short-drama apps, content generally falls into two categories:

Local dramas — Produced and filmed within markets such as the United States or Brazil, these are tailored for regional audiences. While still a minority (about 10–20 % of releases), their share is growing quickly. Local dramas often adapt popular online novels, hire local actors and crews, and shoot on location in cities like Los Angeles and São Paulo. Because they resonate more with local cultural references, they tend to achieve higher long-term engagement but require longer production cycles and higher budgets compared with translated dramas.
Translation dramas — Mini-series produced in China, then translated and dubbed into multiple languages for international release. They draw on China’s vast library of domestic IP but reach global viewers through localization. As of 2025, translation dramas still account for roughly 80–90 % of international releases.

What’s Driving Growth?

Several structural factors explain the expansion of the international short-drama market:

Favorable consumer habits — In mature markets like North America, audiences are accustomed to paying for subscriptions on platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. That willingness to pay transfers to short-drama apps, supporting in-app purchase revenue. In Southeast Asia, strong demand exists, but lower willingness to pay means ad-supported models dominate.
Content advantage — Many leading international short-drama platforms evolved from China’s online-novel industry. A large back-catalog of IP makes it easy to adapt stories for global audiences. However, production capacity for high-quality short dramas remains limited, keeping supply tight.
Marketing channels — Meta (Facebook) remains the largest ad channel for international short-drama platforms, but spending is shifting toward TikTok and other local networks. The combination of efficient marketing and scalable content production has given early entrants an edge in testing and entering new markets.

Translation vs. Local Production

Translation dramas provide a steady pipeline of content. With roughly 40 000 short dramas produced annually in China, simply translating and dubbing existing series ensures a constant supply. Costs are lower, and these projects can break even with a return-on-investment (ROI) of just 0.5–0.8.

Local dramas, however, are what make the format truly global. Platforms like ReelShort began experimenting with local productions in 2023, adapting best-selling web novels, hiring U.S. or Brazilian talent, and filming on location. These projects require more time and higher budgets, often needing an ROI of 1.5–2.0 to recoup costs. Yet their cultural authenticity drives stronger audience retention and long-tail revenue. In Q1 2025, 16 of the top 20 international short dramas by revenue were local productions, clear evidence of the shift toward locally made content.

Leading Platforms and Their Performance

The international short-drama ecosystem counts more than 200 active apps worldwide, but a handful dominate both downloads and revenue. By mid-2025, DramaBox, ReelShort, and NetShort captured over half of total market revenue. Chinese-owned studios like Dianzhong Technology (DramaBox) and Crazy Maple Studio (ReelShort) were early movers, while newer entrants from Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia are closing the gap.

Two charts here show the top five international short-drama platforms in June 2025 by in-app purchase revenue and by cumulative downloads:

DramaBox and ReelShort lead in revenue, generating about $31 million and $30 million respectively in June 2025, thanks to early market entry and strong IP libraries.
NetShort and GoodShort are growing quickly, while DramaWave, a newcomer leveraging AI-assisted production, already ranks fifth in both charts.
The gap between revenue and downloads reflects different monetization models — apps focused on Southeast Asia or Latin America may see high installs but lower in-app purchases, relying more on ads.