Microdrama apps beat Netflix on mobile watch time. Here's why

If you make video for the internet and your plan is still "long-form + a few Shorts for marketing," I've got a tiny problem for you. It's one minute long. And it's stealing attention like it owes money.

Because on phones, these vertical soap-operas-from-the-future aren't just "growing." They're already out-watching the big streamers on a per-user basis. That's not a trend. That's a distribution shift with a screenplay.

What happened

On February 23, 2026, media analyst Omdia published mobile usage research (based on Q4 2025 mobile usage data sourced from Sensor Tower) comparing microdrama apps to major streaming services - specifically on time spent per active user per day. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

In the U.S., Omdia says ReelShort (a microdrama app from Crazy Maple Studio, launched in 2022) averaged 35.7 minutes/day per active user. Netflix averaged 24.8. Prime Video 26.9. Disney+ 23.0. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

Important nuance: Netflix still has way more active mobile users in the U.S. (Omdia cites ~12 million monthly active mobile users) compared to ReelShort (~1.1 million). Microdrama wins on intensity, not scale. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

And it's not just an American thing. Omdia points to the U.K. (FlickReels slightly ahead of Prime Video on daily minutes) and Mexico (DramaBox ahead of Prime Video and Disney+ on daily minutes). ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

Also: this isn't cute pocket change. Omdia estimates $11B global microdrama revenue in 2025 and forecasts $14B by the end of 2026, with meaningful growth outside China and the U.S. as the biggest international market. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

Why creators should care

Attention: Microdramas are built for the phone. Not "we cropped it to 9:16" phone. I mean: 60-120 seconds, constant cliffhangers, and an interface that feels suspiciously like mobile games. That design is why a smaller app can outrun Netflix on daily minutes per user. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

Distribution: The dirty secret is that a lot of discovery still happens on the big social platforms. Omdia explicitly calls out YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as key discovery engines. And Sensor Tower-based tracking showed microdrama apps put a huge chunk of U.S. ad spend into social networks in 2025. Translation: your feed is the top of their funnel. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

Monetization: This category isn't powered by "creator fund vibes." It's powered by viewers paying to keep watching - subscriptions, episode unlocks, coins, ad-for-rewards. That's why the U.S. microdrama business got pegged around $1.3B in 2025 by industry reporting, with most revenue coming directly from viewers. ([businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/micro-dramas-reelshort-dramabox-billion-dollar-business-in-us-2025-9?utm_source=openai))

Workflow: If you can write tight, shoot fast, and ship relentlessly, you suddenly have a new market that rewards cadence. And the industry is formalizing around it: SAG-AFTRA launched a Verticals Agreement in October 2025 aimed at serialized microdramas with budgets under $300,000. The DGA has also been explicitly reminding members that vertical work is covered under its new media framework. ([sagaftra.org](https://www.sagaftra.org/turning-industry-its-side-sag-aftra-goes-vertical-new-agreement?utm_source=openai))

The platform wars are coming: TikTok is already testing the waters with a standalone microdrama app (PineDrama) in the U.S. and Brazil, reportedly free (for now), while other players raise money to build "premium" versions of the format. When TikTok decides it likes a category, it doesn't do it politely. ([businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-launches-a-new-micro-drama-app-called-pinedrama-2026-1?utm_source=openai))

What to do next

• Run a "microdrama stress test" on your story. Take one plot and outline it as 30-60 beats where each beat can end with a mini-cliffhanger. If you can't do it, you're not looking at a microdrama yet - you're looking at a short film with anxiety.

• Use social as your trailer engine, not your home base. Cut 3-5 punchy scenes as feed-native hooks, but plan where the "full binge" lives (your site, a partner app, a licensing deal, whatever). These apps are buying attention on social anyway; you can ride the same physics. ([omdia.tech.informa.com](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2026/feb/microdramas-overtake-streamers-on-mobile-engagement-says-omdia))

• Get painfully clear on rights. A lot of this space runs on work-for-hire and aggressive monetization mechanics. If you're writing or acting, read the deal twice. If you're producing, understand the union options now that vertical-specific agreements exist. ([sagaftra.org](https://www.sagaftra.org/turning-industry-its-side-sag-aftra-goes-vertical-new-agreement?utm_source=openai))

• Follow the new entrants like a hawk. TikTok experimenting with PineDrama changes the whole chessboard - especially if it stays free/ad-light longer than expected. Meanwhile, new "premium microdrama" platforms are raising capital and will need creators who can ship. ([businessinsider.com](https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-launches-a-new-micro-drama-app-called-pinedrama-2026-1?utm_source=openai))