This Week in Vertical Issue 2026-w34
This Week in Vertical — 17–23 August 2026
6 reports on the vertical-drama business dated 17–23 August 2026, each labelled with the basis it rests on and linked to its sources.
The lead
- Kuaishou reports short-play supply up more than fivefold since January
The platform's interim results for the six months to 30 June 2026 describe a more than fivefold increase in the supply of short plays, counting live-action and AI-generated titles together, against a January 2026 base.
- Short-drama app downloads reach 1.45bn in the first half of 2026, Mintegral reports
Advanced Television reported on 18 August that Mintegral, drawing on Insightrackr data, put first-half short-drama app downloads at 1.45bn, up 95.5% year on year, with about 83% coming from emerging markets.
- Chinese trade outlets report investment thresholds for microdrama licence tiers
DoNews reported on 18 August that China's broadcast regulator issued a management advisory dated 17 August setting the budget thresholds that Order No. 16 leaves to a later instrument. No government or state-media carrier had published it as of 21 August.
More this week
Europe
- Virgin Media Television commissions its first vertical drama
The Irish commercial broadcaster announced Zero Focals Given, an Irish-language school comedy, in its autumn schedule on 18 August.
Asia
- Kunlun Tech revenue up 43.55% in first half; short-drama billings top $65m a month
Kunlun Tech, which runs DramaWave and FreeReels, reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 5.36bn. It said monthly gross billings at its AI short-drama platforms exceeded $65m at the end of June.
People
- Former UK digital minister Damian Collins takes the chair at Screenburn Group
C21Media reported on 20 August that Collins had become chairman of the London company behind the Screenburn writing tool and the CherryBowl vertical-drama tracking service, which says it is preparing to open a funding round this autumn.