Short drama apps report 2026

Data and insights from the
snack-sized entertainment boom
REPORT
The short drama
apps report
With insights from:

2
INTRODUCTION
The global rise of short drama
Short drama (or micro-drama) is a genre of ultra-short, vertically-formatted video series featuring
fast plots and cliffhangers. Episodes are as short as 60 to 90 seconds and in just a few years, it has
transformed from a niche medium into an explosive new entertainment format. Kuaishou and Douyin
were the first major platforms to formalize the trend in China, and short-dramas are now being
produced in the U.S. and all around the world.
In 2025, short drama apps generated 2.3 billion downloads
globally , and by Q4, downloads had surged 186% YoY, while
“traditional” OTT streaming app downloads fell 7% in the
same period. Time spent on short drama apps also grew
311% YoY by Q4 2025. In the U.S., ReelShort users were
averaging 35.7 minutes per day , more than Netflix mobile
at 24.8 minutes, Amazon Prime Video at 26.9 minutes, and
Disney+ at 23 minutes. User spending followed, with in-app
purchase revenue reaching $2.98 billion in 2025, the third-
fastest growth rate of any app category tracked by Sensor
Tower. Across all markets and revenue streams, Omdia
forecasts total micro-drama revenues will grow to $14
billion by end of 2026, with $3 billion generated outside
China. Asia remains the largest market by engagement, but
Latin America has become the fastest-growing region,
with short dramas accounting for nearly 16% of total
video entertainment time in Q4 2025. North America
and Europe, where time share sits at just 5% and 4%
respectively, remain the format’s largest underpenetrated
revenue opportunity.
The methodology
VERTICALS:
Short drama
REGIONS:
Global, APAC, Europe, LATAM, MENA, North
America
DATASET:
A mix of Adjust’s top 5,000 apps and the total
dataset of all apps tracked by Adjust. Our data
comes from two sources, one including a list of 45
countries and one with approximately 250 countries
and territories based on the ISO 3166-1 standard.
Data is based on aggregated, anonymized data
from apps tracked by Adjust and may not reflect the
entire global app market. Unless otherwise noted,
all figures in this report come from Adjust data.
DATA R A N G E :
January 2025 – March 2026
Short drama apps report 2026

3
Meanwhile, production of short dramas is getting faster
and cheaper. More than 35 platforms surpassed 10 million
global downloads in 2025, and the new entrants are no
longer only small independents. TikTok has launched
PineDrama and begun casting original productions. Disney,
Fox, Amazon, and Netflix are all developing short-form
serialized strategies of their own. All of that growth has
made short drama one of the most competitive marketing
environments in mobile. By the end of 2025, more
than 700 distinct companies were actively advertising
their short drama apps every month, with creatives per
a d v e r t i s e r u p 1 4 5 % YoY.
Drawing on app data across installs, engagement,
retention, and revenue, we benchmark short drama
performance across global and regional markets, giving
developers and marketers a clear view of where growth is
accelerating and where the strongest opportunities still lie. “The short drama market is seeing rapid growth in user support, with both the
number of operators and the volume of
content continuing to surge. Overseas
publishers are rolling out content quickly
and in large volumes, while domestic
publishers are distributing original works
and locally produced content; as a result,
the scale of promotional activities by each
company is also expanding. Judging by
current trends, the mobile entertainment
short drama market is expected to
continue experiencing significant growth
in the future.”
Hirotaka Ishizawa
Marketing Div. Manager
Short drama apps report 2026

4
FreeReels
ReelShort
NetShort
Melolo
DramaBox
Story T V
Dramawave
Kuku T V
QuickTV
GoodShort
Top 10 short drama apps by downloads in Q1 2026 (Worldwide)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Source:
DramaBox
ReelShort
NetShort
Dramawave
GoodShort
ShortMax
FlickReels
My Drama
FlareFlow
StardustT V
Top 10 short drama apps by revenue in Q1 2026 (Worldwide)
Short drama apps report 2026

5
What’s the industry’s take on short drama?
Short drama may be exploding in downloads and revenue, but how are app marketers
responding? To find out, we surveyed industry professionals working across app marketing.
of respondents have
seen ads for short
drama apps. who have seen a
short drama ad were
interested. are advertising in
short drama apps or
interested in testing
the channel. are actively building,
or planning to build,
a short drama app. DEVELOPMENT
INTEREST IS EMERGING
ADVERTISERS ARE
PAYING ATTENTION
CURIOSITY IS
STRONG
AWARENESS IS
ALREADY HIGH
69 80 6750
% % % %
Short drama apps report 2026

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EPISODE 1
The global expansion
Short drama installs grew
significantly around the world.
+238%
Installs YoY
+913%
EPISODE 3
LATAM takes the lead
LATAM recorded the strongest
install growth of any region.
Installs YoY
+323%
EPISODE 5
MENA makes its mark
MENA showed strong
adoption of short drama apps.
Installs YoY
+452% +92%
EPISODE 2
Viewers return for more
Sessions grew nearly 3x
more than installs. EPISODE 4
APAC’s growth accelerates
Session activity continued to
climb across APAC. EPISODE 6
Viewers stay tuned in
North America
North America stood out
for its session growth.
+679%
Sessions YoY Sessions YoY Sessions YoY
Short drama’s breakout season
Q1 2026 HIGHLIGHTS
Short drama apps report 2026

7
Short drama app sessions per user per day Q1 2026Short drama app time spent per user per day Q1 2026
D0
D7
D1
D14
D30 8
7
6
5
4
2
3
1
0 Global APACEurope L ATA M MENA NA
Unlike most many categories where session frequency tapers
off post-install, short drama apps showed the opposite pattern,
with sessions per user per day generally increasing over the 30
day window across most regions.
Globally, sessions per user jumped from 1.61 on day 0 to 2.05
by day 30. MENA had the highest levels throughout the period,
reaching 4.76 sessions per user on day 7 and 6.48 by day 30. Short drama numbers also perform well in terms of time spent
in-app per day on day 30. This metric typically declines after
install for most app categories. In North America and Europe,
however, short drama goes the other way entirely. North
America emerged as the strongest market at 40.85 minutes
per user on day 30. Europe followed at 32.24 minutes, while the
global average reached 37.73 minutes.
High engagement among
retained users
Retention rates for short drama
apps were broadly in line with what
we see across other app categories.
Engagement among retained users,
however, was notably strong. By day
30, active users are still returning
multiple times per day and
spending substantial amounts of
time watching content. This makes
understanding which channels,
creatives, and campaigns contribute
to long-term activity critical as there
are clearly super high-value users
to acquire. D0
D7
D1
D14
D30 70
60
50
40 30
10
20
0 Global
Time in minutes
APAC Europe L ATA M MENA NA
2.07 40.85
6.48
16.23
1.5 1 7. 5 7
2.5 32.24
1.29 5.32
1.69
20.52
1.28 3.83
1.52
19. 2 7
1.46 8.63
2.05 3 7. 7 3
1.61 10.53
1.84
8.37
Short drama apps report 2026

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Global1.52
1.45 2.05
0.71
0.24
0.68
0.38 0.43
1.001.29
0.40
1.13
APAC
Europe
MENA
L ATA M
North
America
0 0.5 1 2
1.5
$USD 2.5
25%
20% 15%
10% 5%
0%
Short drama app retention rates Q1 2026 Short drama app total revenue per MAU
2025-Q1 2026
LATAM saw the strongest retention rates across all measured
windows, reaching 20% on day 1 and remaining at 4% by day
30. This was higher than the global benchmark, which reached
15% on day 1 and 2% on day 30. MENA followed at 13%, while
Europe hit 11%. APAC and North America both recorded 10% on
day 1. By day 30, North America retained 3% of users, ahead of
APAC and Europe, both 1%. APAC and North America generated the highest revenue per
monthly active user (MAU) in Q1 2026, reaching $1.45 and
$1.29, respectively. Both regions improved compared to 2025,
with APAC recording the largest increase overall (263%).
LATAM was one of the most consistent markets, with revenue
per MAU decreasing slightly from $0.71 to $0.68. MENA
increased from $0.38 to $0.43. Europe dropped from $2.05 in
2025 to $0.24 in Q1 2026.
Q1 2026
2025
Global
APACEurope L ATA M MENA NA
10%
20%
11% 13%
10%
15%
D7
D1
D14
D30
Short drama apps report 2026

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and drive omnichannel growth with confidence.
This report is based on aggregated and anonymized data from apps tracked by Adjust between January 2025 and March 2026. Results
may vary by vertical, region, and business model. Forecasts are based on third-party industry estimates and are subject to change. This
report does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.