LayarHijau – Short dramas have officially gone mainstream in China. According to the 2025H1 Short Drama Industry Report by DataEye, as of June 2025, 696 million users in China—roughly 70% of the country’s total internet population—are now watching short-form series.
That’s an increase of 34 million new viewers in just six months, representing a 5.1% growth and signaling that the format is no longer just a trend—it’s a permanent fixture in the daily lives of Chinese audiences, especially among younger users.
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Fast, mobile-friendly, and addictive, short dramas are now a central part of China’s entertainment ecosystem.
Free Viewing Is Dominating, Old Models Are Falling Behind
This viewer boom has had a dramatic impact on the industry’s business model. According to the 2024 China Short Drama Industry Research Report, the total market value is expected to hit 634.3 billion yuan this year—up from 505 billion in 2024—and forecasted to reach 856.5 billion yuan by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 19.2%.
The IAA model (in-app advertising) has emerged as the most powerful driver, fueling the free-to-watch short drama boom. DataEye estimates that free short dramas have already generated 350 billion yuan in 2025, up 40% from the previous year, now making up about 55% of the overall market.
Meanwhile, the older IAP (in-app purchase) model is clearly in decline. According to Weture, the heat index for paid dramas fell 15.94% from January to June, with viewing numbers dropping from 19.27 billion to 15.97 billion. Mini-program platforms also struggled, recording only 50 million active viewers this past half-year.
By contrast, native short dramas on platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou have exploded, with total views growing from 323 billion in January to 595.8 billion in June. The number of content creators also jumped from 1,024 to 3,839, and the number of titles released soared from 10,671 to 27,414 in just six months.
Young, Male, and Growing Fast
The audience itself is shifting fast. For the first time, male viewers now make up over 52% of the total, although female audiences still show higher engagement and loyalty.
Even more striking, over 50% of all viewers are now under 40, a 15-point increase from last year. These younger users are fueling the rise of short dramas and pushing the format beyond just romance or comedy. Now, thrillers, fantasy, historical, and even political dramas are being produced in compact, mobile-first episodes.
What It Means for China’s Entertainment Industry—and Beyond
The fact that 70% of China’s internet users are now regularly watching short dramas signals a fundamental shift in how entertainment is consumed and produced in the country. It also marks a turning point for the entertainment business at large.
For the domestic industry:
- It enables faster, cheaper production cycles with quicker returns on investment.
- It creates an entirely new ecosystem for actors, writers, and directors—especially those who struggled to break into the long-form space.
- It allows for greater genre diversity without relying on traditional TV channels or long production timelines.
- For international audiences, the shift is already noticeable. Viral clips from Chinese short dramas like Si Ye or Nian Nian You Ci are spreading rapidly across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. Many of these clips reach millions of views without any official subtitles, suggesting that emotional storytelling and high production values can cross borders easily.
Studios are responding by experimenting with automatic subtitles, global-facing accounts, and licensing for overseas platforms. If momentum continues, Chinese short dramas could very well become the country’s next big cultural export—following the global success of K-pop and K-dramas.
Big Stars and Famous IPs Are Now Joining the Short Drama Boom
This isn’t just a grassroots movement. Major actors and iconic drama titles are now entering the short drama space, showing just how seriously the industry is taking this trend.
Top actress Zhang Tian’ai and Tiger and Crane lead Jiang Long both star in the fantasy-comedy short series Da Hua: A Chinese Odyssey (大话·大话西游), directed and produced by Stephen Chow. With 24 episodes averaging 10–15 minutes, the series debuted on Douyin and quickly became a fan favorite.
Hu Lianxin returned to the screen in a new short-form remake of Princess Returning Pearl (还珠), playing a reimagined version of the beloved character “Lin Suisui” in a 30-episode fantasy comedy co-produced by Mango TV and Hunan TV.
In addition, several major IPs that were once known only as long-form dramas are now officially entering the short drama arena:
Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜) – A new short drama version is under development.
The Prisoner of Beauty (择瑶) – Also being adapted into a compact format.
Hidden Love for You – A spin-off of the hit drama Hidden Love, was released as a 24-episode short series, though later pulled due to copyright disputes between Wajijiwa and Jinjiang Literature City. Still, its existence reflects the growing industry strategy of turning full-length series into snackable adaptations for mobile consumption.
These moves show that short dramas are no longer just a novelty or a low-budget experiment. The involvement of A-list talent and the adaptation of established IPs prove that short-form content is now a central part of China’s entertainment strategy.
Source: Sohu
