COL, a Chinese media and IP company, has launched a global content distribution division focused on microdramas, offering a library of over 1,000 short-form titles in English and Chinese.

The company aims to meet rising interest in serialized, mobile-first video content, with distribution targeting broadcasters, streamers, telcos, and digital platforms worldwide.

Microdramas, usually under two minutes per episode, have gained popularity as audiences seek shorter, more engaging formats.

COL is integrating AI into its production processes and has developed several AI-generated anime series.

The firm operates its own short-form video platforms, including FlareFlow, Sereal+, and Unireel in Japan.

🔗 Source: COL

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Microdramas have quietly become a billion-dollar market disrupting traditional entertainment economics

The numbers reveal an entertainment revolution happening largely under Western radar. China’s microdrama market reached $7 billion in 2024, marking a 35% year-on-year increase, while revenue from these bite-sized shows surpassed China’s domestic box office sales for the first time23.

The global market excluding China is estimated at $2 billion annually and expected to double by 20254. This scale becomes more remarkable when considering production economics: individual microdrama series cost as little as $14,000 to produce, compared to millions for traditional TV shows5.

Companies like ReelShort are generating over $1 billion annually through in-app purchases and advertising, while top performers like actor Kasey Esser reportedly earn $30,000 to $40,000 monthly from leading roles6.

The format’s success metrics are equally striking. For example, COL’s “From Rags to Rank One” garnered 238 million views in a single day and averaged 77 minutes of watch time per user, ultimately surpassing 1 billion cumulative views in China alone1.

2️⃣ Mobile-first viewing habits are reshaping content creation toward ultra-short serialized storytelling

The microdrama format represents a fundamental shift in how audiences consume narrative content, with episodes typically lasting 60-90 seconds and designed specifically for vertical mobile viewing6.

The top five micro-drama apps in Asia reached 150 million monthly active users as of February 2025, demonstrating massive audience adoption of this compressed storytelling format5.

This isn’t simply about shorter attention spans. These ultra-short episodes are structured with cliffhangers and dramatic twists designed to keep viewers hooked across multiple episodes, creating what industry observers call “binge-worthy” content in micro-doses.