📱 Micro-dramas Take Over Online Theaters
Streaming services are betting on a new format — micro-dramas. These are vertical series (9:16) of 50–100 episodes, each 1–2 minutes long.
According to Omdia, the global micro-drama market reached $11 billion in 2025, surpassing free-to-air networks’ revenue.
The format allows paying for each episode individually after a free “trial” (the first 10–12 episodes). The average revenue per user (ARPU) for such viewers can reach up to $80 per month.
Viewers accustomed to Reels and TikTok increasingly choose content they can watch “on the go” (on the subway or in line).
Wink and NMG launched sections with “stories” and the app “Stories” offering access to “Home” content. Ivi and Kion added vertical curation to their interfaces. Among the hits are projects featuring Nagiev and Kulik. On Media (MTS) signed a contract to produce 20 series of 60–100 episodes each.
For now, much of the libraries consist of Chinese and American content with Russian dubbing, but Russian platforms are already preparing their own hits.
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