Micro-dramas overtake streamers on mobile engagement – report

Omdia’s analysis of Q4 2025 mobile usage data from Sensor Tower shows that in the US, micro-drama apps such as ReelShort generate higher daily mobile viewing time than major streaming services. ReelShort had 35.7 minutes per user per day, while Netflix had 24.8 minutes, Amazon Prime Video had 26.9 minutes, and Disney+ had 23.0 minutes.

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.

Omdia estimates global micro-drama revenues reached $11bn in 2025 and will grow to $14bn by the end of 2026. Of that, $3bn will be generated outside China, with the US now the largest international market.

By 2026, the US will account for 50% of all micro-drama revenues outside China, reaching $1.5bn, underlining the format’s rapid global expansion.

“Micro-dramas 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, micro-drama apps are generating more daily viewing time than the world’s biggest streaming platforms.”

Typically one to two minutes long, vertically formatted, and mobile-first, micro-dramas target women aged 25 to 45. However, new genres are trying to reach more male and other new audiences, too.

Their discovery is driven through platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

“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.”

Omdia said the microdrama trend is accelerating in international markets. In the UK, FlickReels generates higher daily usage than Amazon Prime Video (22.39 minutes vs. 21.47 minutes). In Mexico, DramaBox outpaces Amazon Prime Video (27.9 minutes vs. 23.8 minutes) and Disney+ (22.5 minutes).

Adrian Pennington recently investigated how studios are beginning to embrace the potential of vertical micro-dramas, as they drive a profound shift in the production, consumption and gender-bias of global storytelling. Discover more here.