📱 Hollywood Goes Vertical
The format of vertical micro-dramas with two-to-three-minute episodes, which originated in China, is taking the US media industry by storm. Against the backdrop of the pandemic's lingering effects and Hollywood strikes, American actors, screenwriters, and directors are migrating to this segment in droves.
Analysts predict that the US micro-drama market will reach $1.5 billion by the end of 2026.
The explosive growth of the format is driven by ultra-low production costs paired with strong monetization through subscription models. According to the CandyJar platform, the full production cycle for a micro-drama of 50 to 75 episodes takes about three months and costs between $100,000 and $300,000. By comparison, a single episode of a traditional half-hour TV sitcom costs between $2 million and $4 million. At the same time, the target audience—predominantly women aged 25 to 55—is drawn to fast-paced storylines packed with constant cliffhangers and melodramatic tropes.
“Vertical micro-dramas are a bit like a dopamine trap. An episode lasts two to three minutes and usually ends on a sudden plot twist. It’s comparable to watching TikTok, where you just keep doomscrolling through the feed,” notes Evgeny Tkachev, Film Editor at Afisha Daily.
In Russia, where streaming services began launching vertical series hubs in 2025, the format is undergoing an adaptive transformation. According to Katerina Pshenitsyna, Program Director of the Realist Vertical Web Series Festival, foreign acquisitions failed to resonate broadly with local viewers. However, the format is proving highly effective as a marketing tool—for instance, in the form of branded vertical projects or reality shows that funnels audiences to a core product.
International experience underscores the industry’s immense potential: in China, micro-drama box office revenues have surpassed traditional cinema, topping $7 billion. Experts expect the global vertical series market outside China to reach $9.5 billion by 2030.
Source: BFM.RU
