Vertical Observer

The vertical-drama business, sourced

UPDATED 23 October 2026 216 REPORTS · 172 COMPANIES

Microdrama companies directory

Platforms, studios and incumbents active in vertical drama, A to Z within each category. Each profile lists reported figures, with their basis and source where known, and every report tagged with the company.

App · Global (China-origin) 22

  • 99TV China

    99TV was the South-East Asian sibling app to ShortMax, run by the same Chinese producer, Jiuzhou Culture, and carrying the same catalogue.

  • AnyReel Hong Kong

    AnyReel is a vertical-drama app run through the Hong Kong entity HK Begin Wealth Ltd. It launched in 2024 with translated short drama and follows the Chinese web-novel overseas-expansion pattern.

  • DramaBox China

    DramaBox is a vertical-drama app run from Singapore by StoryMatrix, a subsidiary of the Beijing developer Dianzhong.

  • DramaWave China

    DramaWave is the paid vertical-drama app of Kunlun Tech, a Shenzhen-listed Chinese internet group.

  • DreameShort China

    DreameShort is a vertical-drama app from a Chinese-founded web-novel group, Stary/Dreame, domiciled in Singapore under Crater Pte.

  • FlareFlow China

    FlareFlow is COL Group's in-house microdrama app, built around AI-generated content produced with the company's XiaoYao and FlareFlash tools.

  • FlexTV China

    FlexTV is a vertical-drama app operated from Singapore by Mega Matrix, the only US-listed company in the field focused mainly on microdrama.

  • FlickReels China

    FlickReels is a vertical-drama app registered in Singapore under Farsun Pte, with a Chinese back end. Its ultimate beneficial owner is not on the public record.

  • FreeReels China

    FreeReels is the free, advertising-funded microdrama app of the Shenzhen-listed Kunlun Tech, launched in December 2024 alongside the company's paid app DramaWave.

  • GoodShort China

    GoodShort is a vertical-drama app from New Reading Era, the Beijing company behind the GoodNovel web-fiction platform.

  • Kalos TV Hong Kong

    Kalos TV is a mid-tier microdrama app run through a Hong Kong chain of companies, Storyverse and the operator Qinron Tech.

  • MiniShorts China

    MiniShorts is a microdrama app distributed in 170 countries, with users in the United States, France and Germany.

  • MoboReels China

    MoboReels is a vertical-drama app from the Fuzhou company Changdu, part of the MoboReader web-fiction group.

  • NetShort China

    NetShort is a vertical-drama app from the Chongqing producer Maiya Culture, operated through a Singapore entity.

  • ReelShort China

    ReelShort is a vertical-drama app operated by Crazy Maple Studio, a US-based studio in which the Shenzhen-listed COL Group holds 49.24%.

  • Sereal+ China

    Sereal+ is one of three microdrama apps COL Group owns outright, alongside FlareFlow and UniReel.

  • ShortMax China

    ShortMax, listed in app stores as ShortTV, is a vertical-drama app operated by the private Chinese producer Jiuzhou Culture.

  • SnackShort China

    SnackShort is a Chinese vertical-drama app that launched in 2024. Its iOS store entity is Nanjing Menglu Culture in China, with Kujiang of Singapore a sibling entity. Episodes run to about a minute.

  • StardustTV Hong Kong

    StardustTV is a Hong Kong vertical-drama app run by Hongxing Media, launched in 2025 and carrying licensed Chinese duanju in multiple languages. Language counts of both 15 and 18 appear in descriptions of the app.

  • TikTok 'LimeShorts' (ByteDance) China

    LimeShorts is ByteDance's first paid microdrama app, disclosed by trade press on 23 and 24 July 2026, with the underlying product test reported to have run since March 2026.

  • TopShort China

    TopShort makes Japanese-localised originals for the Japanese market, sold on a subscription of $49.99 a month or $199.99 a year plus episode purchases.

  • UniReel China

    UniReel is COL Group's Japan-first microdrama app, carrying licensed and adapted titles localised for the Japanese market and sold through coins. It charted on iOS in Japan in its launch week.

App · Origin not established 1

  • Mintime Not established

    Mintime is a vertical-drama app developed by Noventure Pte of Singapore, which also develops MiniShorts. The ultimate beneficial owner is not on the public record and the company's origin has not been established.

App · Other origin 60

  • Amavizion — 'Shambles' United Kingdom

    Amavizion is a UK pay-per-view streamer carrying world cinema, TV series and documentaries. Its first vertical commission, 'Shambles', went live on 15 July 2026 and was reported by C21Media on 16 July.

  • aTwist (formerly MicroCo) United States

    aTwist, formerly MicroCo, is a US microdrama platform backed by Banyan Ventures, the company of the former ABC executive Lloyd Braun, with the listed studio Cineverse as a passive minority shareholder.

  • Badaboom (Deep Sauce Labs) Germany

    Badaboom is a German microdrama app announced at Seriencamp in June 2026 by Deep Sauce Labs, which describes itself as Germany's first AI-powered microdrama studio.

  • Black Forest Studios / Snaxx Germany

    Black Forest Studios is a German premium-microdrama studio in Kirchzarten near Freiburg.

  • Bullet India

    Bullet is an Indian microdrama service integrated into ZEE5, the streaming platform of Zee Entertainment, which holds an equity stake. It launched in July 2025 and is distributed with Vodafone Idea.

  • BUMP Japan

    BUMP is the short-drama and anime app of the Tokyo company emole, carrying vertical and horizontal titles of one to three minutes in Japan and about 100 other countries.

  • Chera TV United States

    Chera TV is a US artist-led and artist-owned vertical platform that went live in 2026.

  • Crisp Momentum United States

    Crisp Momentum is an over-the-counter listed company that entered short-form scripted video, which it describes as duanju-inspired, through a reverse merger in 2025. It bought TopReels and TaleOn in a $2.9m package.

  • FANY:D Japan

    FANY:D is a Japanese vertical-drama service owned jointly by the talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo, the telecoms operator NTT Docomo and the content company Minto.

  • FLASH (Million) Japan

    FLASH is a Tokyo company operating Million, a short-drama and short-anime app for the Japanese market.

  • GagaOOLala (Verticals) Taiwan

    GagaOOLala, the Taipei LGBTQ+ streamer run by Portico Media and described as the world's largest in its niche, added vertical short-form in around May 2026 through two features, 'Verticals' and 'Discover'.

  • GammaTime United States

    GammaTime is a US microdrama app built around premium vertical originals, using predictive AI to select projects. It runs a freemium model, opening titles free before a paywall, and operates in the United States only.

  • Gokko (POPCORN) Japan

    GOKKO is a Tokyo startup running the vertical-drama app POPCORN, with episodes of one to three minutes on a freemium and coins model in Japan.

  • Grupo Abril — Pop! Pop! Pop! Brazil

    Pop! Pop! Pop! is a Portuguese-language microdrama platform launched by the Brazilian publisher Grupo Abril in around March 2026.

  • Holywater (My Drama) Ukraine

    Holywater is a Ukrainian studio and app company whose main vertical-drama product is My Drama, alongside the AI-native My Muse and three other apps.

  • Idilio Colombia

    Idilio is a Bogotá-based microdrama app built for Latin America, monetised through advertising, coins and brand integrations.

  • Inkitt (Galatea, CandyJar, Ironblood) United States

    Inkitt is a reading platform that funnels web fiction into AI-curated and then AI-generated microdrama, through CandyJar for romance and Ironblood for all-AI action, superhero and science fiction.

  • Inverted.Film United States

    Inverted.Film is an indie, creator-first vertical drama platform from Packed House Pictures. It launched as a web app in 2025 and added a native app in May 2026.

  • Korai Flix South Korea

    Korai Flix is a Seoul-based interactive entertainment platform built around AI-generated content. It offers AI short dramas and AI companion avatars, along with AI content-creation tools in several visual styles.

  • Kuku TV (Kuku FM) India

    Kuku TV is the microdrama arm of Kuku FM, the Bengaluru audio company, producing more than 150 original titles a month of two to three minutes and selling them by subscription and in-app purchase.

  • Lebara Play Nigeria

    Lebara Play is a microdrama platform launched by Lebara Nigeria on 2 July 2026 and described as Africa's first telco-owned microdrama service. It carries episodes of around three minutes plus music and lifestyle content.

  • Lighthouse Verticals United States

    Lighthouse Verticals is a US mobile vertical platform for faith-and-family audiences, announced on 7 July 2026. The app is in beta with a public launch set for November 2026.

  • LoveHit United States

    LoveHit is a Los Angeles studio producing vertical short series, led by chief executive Lenny Levi, previously at Sony Pictures Entertainment, CBS Television Studios, Paramount Television Studios and Riot Games.

  • Mansa United States

    Mansa is a US streaming platform built around content by and for Black creators and audiences, co-founded by the actor-producers David Oyelowo and Nate Parker.

  • Microhouse Films United States

    Microhouse Films is a celebrity-led US vertical platform announced in April 2026, and launched on 7 July 2026 alongside a Los Angeles launch event.

  • Minivela United States

    Minivela is a Miami-based company that distributes microdramas to Latino audiences. It partnered with Great American Media on Pure Flix Familia earlier in 2026, according to its release.

  • MX Fatafat India

    MX Fatafat is the microdrama strand of Amazon MX Player in India, launched in March 2026. Titles run 80 to 100 episodes of one to two minutes and are free with no paywall. The ultimate parent is Amazon.

  • N1BW United States

    N1BW is a web platform for vertical series founded by Roy Price, who ran Amazon Studios until his departure in 2017. It launched around 24 August 2026 and was reported by The Hollywood Reporter on 27 August.

  • Play Media — Play Shorts (Telenet) Belgium

    Play Media, the streaming arm of the Belgian operator Telenet, launched a vertical microdrama line, Play Shorts, in 2026. The slate is produced by the Belgian company Dedsit.

  • Pocket Saga India

    Pocket Saga is the microdrama app of Pocket Entertainment, the company behind the audio-series platform Pocket FM.

  • Pocket TV (Pocket FM) India

    Pocket TV was the vertical-video arm of Pocket FM, the Bengaluru audio-series company, carrying originals alongside dubbed Korean, Chinese and American titles in India and internationally.

  • Quibi United States

    Quibi was a US mobile-only service for original short-form episodes of up to 10 minutes, launched on 6 April 2020 on a subscription of $4.99 with advertising or $7.99 without.

  • QuickTV (ShareChat / Mohalla Tech) India

    QuickTV is a subscription microdrama app from Mohalla Tech, the parent of ShareChat, aimed at multi-language audiences in India's tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

  • RisingJoy — 'RJOY' Singapore

    RJOY is a direct-to-consumer microdrama service from the Singapore company RisingJoy, launched around 16 June 2026 and revealed at APOS in Bali.

  • RoseBerry Media — 'Epis' United States

    Epis is a vertical app from RoseBerry Media, a New York company with an Israeli founding team and hubs in London and Tel Aviv.

  • Rusk Media (Alright! TV) India

    Rusk Media is an Indian digital studio that operates the vertical platform Alright! TV. On 29 June 2026 Yash Raj Films, the Chopra family studio, took a strategic equity stake on undisclosed terms.

  • Scene Lebanon

    Scene is a Lebanese-founded service describing itself as the first Arabic microdrama platform, carrying 60-second episodes for Gulf and wider Arab audiences. It is owned by Triple 8 Holding.

  • Shorta Argentina

    Shorta is an Argentine microdrama service making premium originals of under two minutes, with more than 40 series, and sharing profits with creators.

  • Shortcha South Korea

    Shortcha is the vertical short-form app of Watcha, the Korean streaming company, carrying episodes of about a minute on a freemium model with advertising. It operates in Korea and does not disclose app-level revenue.

  • Shortical Israel

    Shortical is a Tel Aviv microdrama app launched in 2025 that builds scripted vertical drama on an AI-first cost base.

  • Showbox vertical South Korea

    Showbox, the listed Korean film studio, moved into original vertical drama in December 2025. The operation is Korea-focused and its monetisation has not been disclosed.

  • SoonShot South Korea

    SoonShot is a South Korean short-form K-drama app, operated by ADG Company and co-founded by the comedian Lee Kyung-kyu.

  • STAGE Shorts India

    STAGE is an Indian streaming service built on local dialects, which added short-form originals to its subscription offering.

  • Story TV (Eloelo) India

    Story TV is the microdrama app of Eloelo, the Bengaluru live-social company. It carries more than 1,000 titles and monetises through micropayments and gifting rather than advertising.

  • StoryReel Not disclosed

    StoryReel is a short-drama app listed in the German App Store as "StoryReel: Kurzdramen & TV", with a German-localised title.

  • StoryTV (StudioQuinze) France

    StoryTV, from the Paris company StudioQuinze, is described as the first all-French vertical-drama platform.

  • Super Punchy Studios United States

    Super Punchy Studios is a Los Angeles microdrama studio founded in January 2026 by Salvador Paskowitz, a writer whose credits include The Age of Adaline, and Timothy Nelligan.

  • Sweetz France

    Sweetz is a French microdrama application published jointly by Nation, a French studio working with AI production tools, and Kovalee, a Paris-based mobile app publisher.

  • TADKA India

    TADKA is the vertical-drama service of JioHotstar, the Indian streaming platform owned by Reliance and Disney. It carries more than 100 titles in episodes of 30 to 60 seconds, free and advertising-supported, in India.

  • Tele Tele Brazil

    Tele Tele launched in São Paulo in June 2026 and is described as the first Brazilian vertical-microdrama platform. It serves the Brazilian market. Its monetisation, revenue, downloads and funding have not been disclosed.

  • ThumFlix (House of Reux) United States

    ThumFlix is a vertical streaming platform announced by House of Reux in late June 2026, with a launch stated as later in the year.

  • TopReels South Korea

    TopReels is a Korean-owned short-drama app distributing globally, with about 179 shows claimed.

  • TrueShort United States

    TrueShort produces AI-generated vertical true-crime microdrama and sells a flat annual subscription of $39.99 rather than coins. It raised a $12m seed round.

  • TVING Short Originals South Korea

    TVING, the Korean streaming service owned by CJ ENM, launched Short Originals in August 2025: two-minute vertical episodes offered free as a funnel to its main subscription service.

  • Vertical Minds / EiLiN Germany

    Vertical Minds is a Munich company building EiLiN, a premium 9:16 platform it describes as 'Fernsehen für die Hosentasche' (television for the trouser pocket).

  • Vertical TV (Zupee Studio) India

    Vertical TV was an Indian microdrama startup founded in 2024. Inc42 reported, citing sources and without confirmation from the company, that Zupee acquired it on 3 February 2026 and folded it into Zupee Studio, the…

  • vertTV United States

    vertTV is a US subscription vertical-drama app launched on 22 July 2026 with more than 200 exclusive titles. Its flagship is a 'Fuller House' reunion series with Jodie Sweetin, John Brotherton and Marla Sokoloff.

  • VeYou (Tiny Verticals) United States

    VeYou is an AI-assisted vertical-drama app launched in April 2026 by the producer Tommy Harper, whose credits include 'Top Gun: Maverick' and 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'.

  • Vigloo South Korea

    Vigloo is the microdrama app of Spoon Labs, the Seoul audio company formerly known as Spoon Radio.

  • ViX MicrO (TelevisaUnivision) Mexico

    ViX MicrO is TelevisaUnivision's Spanish-language vertical microdrama line, launched inside the ViX streaming app on 26 February 2026 for US Hispanic and Latin American audiences.

Established media and tech 19

  • Character.AI — 'c.ai Series' United States

    Character.AI launched an in-house microdrama studio on 9 July 2026 with three AI-produced vertical shows: 'Last Summer', an anime romance; 'The Nighttime Game', supernatural horror; and 'Eden Fall', a survival series.

  • Disney Locker Diaries United States

    Locker Diaries is Disney's microdrama pilot, launched in February 2026 in the United States: an original 11-part vertical series drawing on the Zombies and Descendants franchises.

  • Disney+ Verts United States

    Verts is a vertical discovery feed inside Disney+, launched on 12 March 2026 in the United States.

  • Flipkart India

    Flipkart is India's largest domestic e-commerce platform, majority-owned by Walmart since 2018.

  • HBO Max 'Shorts' (Warner Bros. Discovery) United States

    Warner Bros. Discovery began testing a vertical feed, Shorts, inside HBO Max on 28 July 2026 for selected US iOS users, with more devices and markets promised.

  • Mediaset España (Mediaset Infinity) Spain

    Mediaset España is a Spanish commercial broadcaster whose streaming service, Mediaset Infinity, began carrying vertical microdrama in September 2026.

  • Melolo China

    Melolo is ByteDance's overseas free-drama app, run from Singapore through its Poligon subsidiary and aimed at South-East Asia: Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

  • Meta Reels Series United States

    Series is a Meta feature in testing during 2026 that lets creators group Reels into episodes.

  • Netflix Clips United States

    Clips is Netflix's vertical discovery feed, launched on 30 April 2026 in nine markets.

  • Nippon TV — Viral Pocket Japan

    Nippon TV launched an in-house vertical and microdrama division, Viral Pocket, on 17 February 2026.

  • Peacock / Bravo — 'Campus Confidential: Miami' United States

    Bravo made its first vertical microdrama for smartphones, 'Campus Confidential: Miami', released on Peacock in June 2026. It puts NBCUniversal alongside Disney, Netflix and Fox among US incumbents commissioning vertical.

  • PineDrama China

    PineDrama is TikTok's microdrama app, soft-launched in January 2026 in the United States and Brazil. Its catalogue is licensed and aggregated from ShortMax, Dreame and Stardust in one-minute episodes.

  • Prime Video Clips United States

    Clips is Amazon's vertical discovery feed inside Prime Video, launched on 8 May 2026 in the United States.

  • RTVE — Playz (vertical app) Spain

    The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE announced in December 2025 that it would convert its youth platform Playz into a vertical video app, which it described as fully adapted to Gen Z. Its first vertical microdrama…

  • S4C United Kingdom (Wales)

    S4C is the Welsh-language public service broadcaster. It has commissioned two vertical dramas, both from the independent producer Mojo Productions, and publishes them on the TikTok channel of its youth brand Hansh…

  • Short TV Poland

    Short TV is a relaunch of the Polish cable channel ViDoc TV 1 by Red Carpet Media Group, scheduled entirely to microdrama in one-to-two-minute episodes and accompanied by a mobile video-on-demand service.

  • Vidio Indonesia

    Vidio is Indonesia's largest domestic streaming service, owned by the Emtek group.

  • Virgin Media Television Ireland

    Virgin Media Television is Ireland's commercial broadcaster. It announced its first vertical drama, Zero Focals Given, in its autumn schedule launch on 18 August 2026.

  • YouTube United States

    YouTube is distribution infrastructure for the category rather than a first-party microdrama producer.

Platform · China-domestic 9

  • Bilibili 短剧 (曦光计划) China

    Bilibili runs a small short-drama programme, 曦光计划, focused on anime and animated drama (漫剧). It co-produces titles at CNY 1-3m and monetises through in-app advertising and the platform's 充电 tipping system.

  • Douyin duanju (辰星计划) China

    Douyin runs its duanju business inside the main app under the Chenxing programme (辰星计划), combining user- and professionally-generated work with licensed titles on both in-app purchase and free models.

  • Hongguo (红果短剧) China

    Hongguo is ByteDance's free, advertising-funded duanju service and the largest microdrama platform in China by users. QuestMobile put its monthly active users at 356m in May 2026, up 79.1% year on year.

  • iQIYI 微剧场 / 短剧场 China

    iQIYI runs its short-drama business through the 微剧场 and 短剧场 strands and a standalone app, paying producers at least 70% of VIP revenue share and building AI tooling under the Nadou Pro brand.

  • Kuaishou duanju (喜番) China

    Kuaishou runs duanju both inside its main app and as a standalone service, on free and in-app purchase models. Its free app is 喜番 and its premium brand 星芒短剧.

  • Mango TV Damang (大芒) China

    Damang is the short-drama arm of Mango TV, the streaming service of the state-backed Mango Excellent Media. It runs a VIP tier and a free app, paying members CNY 1-3 an hour plus a cash bonus.

  • Maoyan duanju China

    Maoyan publishes a duanju heat ranking (短剧热度榜) rather than producing or distributing titles. It is a data provider to the category, not a producer, and books no duanju revenue.

  • Tencent Video 十分短剧 China

    Tencent Video runs a premium short-drama strand, 十分短剧, paying producers on a CPM revenue-share ladder while members pay CNY 1-2 an hour.

  • Youku 短剧 (扶摇计划) China

    Youku runs short drama on an S-CPM revenue-share ladder and added AI-animated drama (漫剧) in February 2026.

Production / IP 59

  • Ambitious Entertainment Canada

    Ambitious Entertainment is a film production company incorporated in Nevada and run from Vancouver, led by chief executive Kirk E. Shaw.

  • AniShort (Eight Eight Digital / 八点八数字) China

    AniShort is an AI short-drama production tool and agent from the Nanjing company Bādiǎnbā Digital, launched on 13 March 2026.

  • ARD — 'Between the Beats' (Radio Bremen and SR) Germany

    'Between the Beats' is a vertical fiction series commissioned by Radio Bremen and Saarländischer Rundfunk for ARD and produced by Red Pony Pictures and Saxonia Media in Leipzig.

  • Banijay France

    Banijay is a French-operated production group pushing into microdrama across several markets, with German, Spanish, Finnish and Brazilian titles set for 2026.

  • Banijay Productions Germany Germany

    The German arm of Banijay announced a microdrama push at Series Mania on 26 March 2026.

  • BuzzFeed Studios United States

    BuzzFeed Studios announced a pact with muVpix on 22 July 2026 to produce more than 100 vertical microdrama titles over two years, starting with 'Romeo & Juliet, Reimagined' in August.

  • China Literature (阅文) China

    China Literature is the Tencent-backed web-fiction group listed in Hong Kong, and one of the main upstream IP suppliers to the duanju business.

  • COL Group (中文在线) China

    COL Group is a Shenzhen-listed Chinese digital publishing company that sits behind four microdrama apps: 49% of ReelShort, plus FlareFlow, Sereal+ and UniReel in-house.

  • Constantin Entertainment Germany

    Constantin Entertainment is a German production company working in international vertical drama. It is producing two 60-episode series for Crisp Momentum, which went live in April 2026.

  • CreativeFitting (井英科技) China

    CreativeFitting is a Chinese company building agent-native AI short drama across production, distribution and consumption.

  • Dedsit Belgium

    Dedsit is a Belgian production company making 20 microdramas for Play Shorts, the vertical line of Telenet's Play Media. It is described as one of Europe's largest current commissioned microdrama slates.

  • Dianzhong (点众) China

    Dianzhong is a Beijing full-stack duanju group that produces titles, buys traffic (投流) and operates apps, including DramaBox.

  • DRIVE beta Germany

    DRIVE beta is a Berlin producer with a social unit it calls 'Hochkant'. Its chief executive, Hannes Jakobsen, is publicly sceptical of vertical economics, and the company has no microdrama slate.

  • Evoken (演语科技) / LiblibAI — LibTV China

    Evoken runs LiblibAI, an AI-image community it puts at more than 30m users, and launched the AI-video tool LibTV in March 2026. LibTV is used to produce short drama; the company also markets an AI design agent, Xingliu.

  • Fascino PGT Italy

    Fascino PGT is an Italian microdrama producer, the production company of Maria De Filippi, in the Mediaset orbit and associated with WittyTV.

  • Full Moon Artists (FMA) Productions United States

    Full Moon Artists (FMA) Productions is a United States production company making vertical drama, formed during 2026 by the horror producer Charles Band together with four microdrama performers, Sarah Moliski…

  • funk — 'FLEISCHWOLF 2go' Germany

    FLEISCHWOLF 2go is the second season of funk's comedy series FLEISCHWOLF, released as a vertical series in what funk calls the microdrama format.

  • funk — iam.justmyself Germany

    'iam.justmyself' is a first-person vertical video-diary web serial that has run on the ARD/ZDF youth network funk since 2016, produced by PULS at Bayerischer Rundfunk.

  • Global Mofy AI China

    Global Mofy AI is a Chinese computer-generated content and visual effects group listed on Nasdaq through a Cayman Islands holding company.

  • Hartbeat United States

    Hartbeat is the US comedy studio founded by Kevin Hart. On 1 September 2026 Deadline reported that it had made aTwist the exclusive home for its vertical originals, with a dedicated Hartbeat destination inside the…

  • Hartford Creative Group United States

    Hartford Creative Group is a Nevada-incorporated company quoted on OTC Markets.

  • Hinterhof Verticals / Hinterhof Film Germany

    The Berlin production company Hinterhof Film announced a dedicated microdrama label on 10 June 2026, reported by DWDL.

  • HitchOn Germany

    HitchOn is a German social and influencer-marketing agency whose founder, Sarah Kübler, is a public advocate for vertical drama.

  • Hoorae Media United States

    Hoorae Media produces microseries for TikTok. Screen Time premiered on 29 April 2026 with 27 episodes in its first act, followed by a second act on 22 May. The Compatibility Experiment premiered on 14 October 2026.

  • Huace (华策) China

    Huace is a private Chinese television-drama producer, listed in Shenzhen, that has added short drama to its output. It has more than 60 short-drama projects running at about 20 a month.

  • Inside Microdramas Singapore

    Inside Microdramas is a marketplace event scheduled for Singapore on 27 October 2026, run by COL Group with VIRTUE Asia and V47 Entertainment.

  • iReader (掌阅) China

    iReader is a Shanghai-listed Chinese digital reading company moving from books into drama, and it holds 4.99% of Dianzhong.

  • İki Dakika Creative House Turkey

    İki Dakika Creative House is a Turkish social-first vertical drama house that launched in Italy on 5 May 2026 at Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

  • Jiuzhou Culture (九州文化) China

    Jiuzhou Culture is a private Jiaxing producer running a full-stack operation behind the apps ShortMax and 99TV. It made about 400 dramas in 2024 and ranks among DataEye's top three producers.

  • KIJK Shorts Netherlands

    KIJK Shorts is a vertical strand announced by KIJK, the free ad-supported streaming service of Talpa Network in the Netherlands. Talpa announced it on 2 September 2026 for launch in early 2027.

  • Knockout Shorts United States

    Knockout Shorts is a United States producer of vertical drama. It made Love, Lies & Frank for the platform Shortical, with Peter Gold of Gold Films, a title Variety reported on 12 August 2026 as headlined by James…

  • Linmon (柠萌) China

    Linmon is a Hong Kong-listed premium Chinese drama producer that has moved into short form, with 141 shorts to date. FY2025 revenue was CNY 860m, of which CNY 130m came from short drama.

  • Macro Television Studios United States

    Macro Television Studios is the television arm of Macro, the Los Angeles media company founded in 2015 by Charles D. King.

  • Maiya (麦芽) China

    Maiya is a Chongqing MCN and producer behind the app NetShort, known in China for female-skewed titles and styled the king of the female-audience segment (女频之王). It is regarded as a top-tier producer.

  • Mojo Productions United Kingdom (Wales)

    Mojo Productions is a Welsh independent producer and the maker of both vertical dramas commissioned by the public broadcaster S4C.

  • muVpix United States

    muVpix is a US vertical-drama studio founded by John Lewis. It had been acquiring titles for months ahead of an international platform launch, including a pirate-themed series in March and a romance shot in Costa Rica.

  • New Short Media United States

    New Short Media is a premium micro-series studio launched on 22 July 2026 and devoted entirely to vertical storytelling.

  • Night Train Media Germany

    Night Train Media is a Munich producer, financier and distributor moving into vertical.

  • One Life Studios India

    One Life Studios is a Mumbai producer with a library of more than 500 microdrama and scripted titles.

  • Production clusters (Xi'an, Hengdian) China

    Chinese duanju production concentrates in two clusters. Xi'an, styled the capital of short drama (短剧之都), accounts for about 60% of national output, while Hengdian, the country's main studio town, is known as the…

  • ProSiebenSat.1 / Seven.One Germany

    ProSiebenSat.1 has an internal vertical-drama working group assessing whether to enter the market, reported by DWDL on unnamed sourcing. No product has been announced and no lead has been named.

  • Red Minds Films Mexico and Ecuador

    Red Minds Films is a microdrama producer based in Mexico and Ecuador. The company said it has produced about 1,800 microdramas and reaches about 185 million views a month and about 38 million followers; the figures are…

  • Red Pony Pictures / Saxonia Media Germany

    Red Pony Pictures is the vertical label of the Leipzig producer Saxonia Media, which is owned 51% by Bavaria Film and 49% by MDR Media.

  • Reelistiq Germany

    Reelistiq describes itself as Germany's first vertical-drama agency and works on brand integration and custom IP under the label 'Social Cinema'. It co-made 'Aminho' for Skechers, a run of 20 AI-produced episodes.

  • RTL Deutschland Germany

    RTL Deutschland has vertical drama under strategic review. No product or dedicated unit has been confirmed and no vertical lead has been named; DWDL cites unnamed strategists inside the company.

  • RTLZWEI — 'Berlin – Tag & Nacht' Vertical Germany

    RTLZWEI announced on 2 July 2026 a vertical-drama spin-off of its reality soap 'Berlin – Tag & Nacht', to run on TikTok and its own platforms including RTL+. No start date has been given.

  • Screenburn Group United Kingdom

    Screenburn Group is a London software company working adjacent to vertical drama rather than producing it.

  • StoReel — 'Canvas' United States

    StoReel's Canvas is an AI-native production and monetisation layer for creators making microdrama, rather than a consumer app. It carries more than 80 AI-generated originals.

  • SUPERAMA Germany

    SUPERAMA is a Munich digital studio that shot five vertical pilots in mid-June 2026 using 12K capture on an LED volume. It is co-developing concepts with Vertical Minds, the company behind EiLiN.

  • The Daily Show / Comedy Central (Paramount) United States

    Comedy Central announced on 21 July 2026 'The Daily Show Presents: Two Billionaires Fight to Dominate the Country… And My Heart!', a satirical microdrama parodying the vertical-soap format.

  • The9 Limited China

    The9 Limited is a Shanghai-headquartered company listed on Nasdaq since 2004, which describes its businesses as online games operation, Bitcoin mining and AI-driven drug discovery investment.

  • Tinghuadao (听花岛) China

    Tinghuadao is a Beijing producer of premium duanju hits, controlled by the media figure Mimeng and operating through Beijing October Fifth Film & TV Media.

  • UFA Germany

    UFA is the German production company behind the country's principal daily dramas, among them Alles was zaehlt and Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten for RTL.

  • Upscale Media Films United States

    Upscale Media Films is a United States production company for the microdrama market, which formally launched on 9 September 2026 in a Deadline exclusive.

  • VertiCast United States

    VertiCast is a swipe-to-match casting marketplace for microdrama and vertical talent, described by its founders as a Tinder for vertical casting.

  • Victus Films Germany

    Victus Films is a Munich production company that in September 2026 opened a vertical-drama line under the label Victus Verticals.

  • WennDann Film / WennDann Shorts Germany

    WennDann Film is a Munich production company founded in 2022 by three HFF Munich graduates. It set up a microdrama label, WennDann Shorts, in 2025.

  • WWE (with ReelShort) United States

    WWE announced a partnership with ReelShort on 14 July 2026 to make an original live-action microdrama, with production from August 2026 and a premiere stated as early autumn. The storyline has not been announced.

  • ZDF / ZDF Studios (Network Movie) Germany

    ZDF's programming chief Frank Zervos confirmed in June 2026 that the broadcaster has its own vertical concepts. Separately, Network Movie, part of ZDF Studios, has set up a fledgling microdrama unit in Hamburg.

Tools & services 2

  • iQSTEL United States

    iQSTEL is a wholesale telecommunications company listed on Nasdaq as IQST and based in Coral Gables, Florida.

  • Zapters Germany

    Zapters: AI Microdrama Studio is an iOS application for making microdramas with AI, rather than for watching them. Apple dates the first release, version 1.0, to 10 September 2026.