📱 Microdrama Audience Skew Younger and Broader

Analysts emphasize that this growth is sustained and not merely the byproduct of one-off marketing campaigns. Genre diversification has served as the primary catalyst for attracting male viewers: while romance previously dominated the microdrama landscape, sci-fi, fantasy, and thrillers are now rapidly capturing market share. Although romance remains the core genre (selected by 74% of users), 64.5% of the audience watches traditional dramas, 54% view comedies, and nearly half of respondents express demand for adaptations of well-known books and films.

Alongside genre expansion, the audience is growing significantly younger. The proportion of viewers aged 22 to 27 has nearly tripled over the past five quarters, now representing a quarter of the platform’s total user base. This younger demographic is also establishing new consumption patterns—most notably a rising share of late-night smartphone viewing before sleep.

“In 2024, the microdrama audience was often reduced to a single demographic: women aged 35–54 watching in the evening. Two years later, every element of that picture is shifting in real time. The audience remains predominantly female, but it is becoming more male, younger, and more global,” the study notes.

Owl & Co analysts estimate the global non-Chinese vertical video economy at $150 billion in 2026, reflecting a 41% year-over-year growth rate. Major investment deals further underscore the sector’s momentum: Holywater recently raised $22 million in a funding round alongside securing a strategic agreement with Fox.

Surging capitalization and growing interest from traditional Hollywood studios are elevating microdramas from low-budget niche content into a fully fledged global media format.