LONDON—As Hollywood jumps into the production of mini-dramas, a new study from Ampere Analysis finds that more than one in 10 internet users have watched drama episodes lasting 10 minutes or less on social media.
The firm’s annual global survey of over 100,000 consumers shows ‘micro-dramas’ and ‘mini-dramas’ gaining traction on social media, with YouTube and TikTok the leading destinations. As younger audiences spend more time with vertical short-form video on their phone, commissioners are using social platforms as distribution channels and as discovery funnels for premium apps such as DramaBox and ReelShorts.
Minal Modha, research director and head of sports media, sponsorship and consumer research at Ampere Analysis, explained that “Shorter scripted drama platforms are capitalizing on the increasing use of vertical videos customized for phone viewing, particularly among younger audiences. On average, internet users spend nearly 50 mins a day watching videos on social media, rising to over an hour for 18–34-year-olds. Thus, commissioners of mini- and micro-dramas can use social platforms in two main ways: first, show all episodes on services like YouTube and generate advertising revenue, or second, tease the content on TikTok or Instagram, before enticing audiences onto subscription apps such as DramaBox.”
Other key findings include:
- Younger skew. Viewers aged 18–34 are 21% more likely than the average viewer to have watched mini-dramas in the past month.
- APAC leads; Europe lags. Engagement is strongest in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines—reflecting mobile-first usage in these markets. In comparison, audiences in Europe are less likely than average to have watched in the past month.
- YouTube is the most popular destination for viewers, with 44% of those who have watched a mini-drama doing so on the platform.
- TikTok follows close behind at 38%.
- Top genres. Romance, Anime and Fantasy are the biggest draws and should be priority genres for future commissions.
