China grades AI microdramas by budget tier from 1 July
An NRTA department notice sets investment tiers of ¥800k and above, ¥300k to ¥800k, and below ¥300k. It was carried by Xinhua rather than published on the regulator's own site.
What this basis means: Regulatory filing, government body, court or industry association.
A notice from the NRTA's online audiovisual department (广电总局网络视听司), 管理提示（AI微短剧分类分层标准）, grades AI microdramas by production investment: 重点 at ¥800,000 and above, 普通 from ¥300,000 to ¥800,000, and 其他微短剧 below ¥300,000. It took effect on 1 July 2026.
Xinhua (news.cn) carried the notice on 25 June 2026, and China Daily, Tencent, Sina and IT之家 also reported it. It reached the public through the department by way of Xinhua rather than through a formal nrta.gov.cn URL, so it is official-adjacent rather than a publication on the regulator's own site. It aligns with the draft measures' Article 5, which sets a three-tier classification by investment, and Article 34, which requires per-episode AI labelling.
In Germany, the Berlin production company Hinterhof Film has founded a dedicated microdrama label, Hinterhof Verticals, reported by DWDL on 10 June 2026. It makes narrative-led 9:16 short series and builds on South Korean co-production work from 2025.
Companies Hinterhof Film, Hinterhof Verticals
Tracked instrument China, NRTA filing review tiers and the AI micro short drama classification notice
Sources
- Xinhua (news.cn)
- DWDL