As mobile-native audiences increasingly seek immersive yet time-efficient entertainment, short dramas have emerged as a key battleground in the global content race. More importantly, short drama apps offer a scalable, cost-effective format for storytelling that resonates across cultures, making them a powerful tool for content innovation and global expansion.

To help industry players navigate this rapid growth, SocialPeta has released its latest report, Insight into Global Short Drama App Marketing for H1 2025. This report provides comprehensive, omnichannel data insights into the evolving landscape, emerging trends, and breakthrough strategies shaping the global short drama ecosystem.

Whether you’re a developer, marketer, or platform operator, this report serves as a valuable strategic resource for understanding and succeeding in this fast-growing category.

Global short drama market landscape

In the first half of 2025, the global short drama market saw explosive growth, alongside clear regional differences.

The U.S. leads in revenue, capturing 40% of the global market, driven by a mature entertainment ecosystem and a strong willingness to pay. Japan and Brazil follow, though their market sizes remain considerably smaller.

Download growth, however, is more geographically diverse. The U.S. still holds the top spot, but emerging markets like India, Indonesia, and Brazil are quickly gaining ground in Southeast Asia and Latin America. These regions benefit from a young, mobile-first population, widespread internet access, lower user acquisition costs, and strong device compatibility, all of which support rapid user growth and scalability.

Top 10 regions by market share

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Source: SocialPeta

Regional audience tastes are crucial in shaping global short drama strategies:

  • North America favors urban and dominant-male romance, often blended with fantasy (e.g., werewolves, vampires). Female viewers lead the demand, expecting high production and acting quality. TikTok and Instagram are the main marketing channels.
  • Southeast Asia leans into youth, campus life, family drama, and time-travel revenge plots. Viewers aged 18–30 prefer fast-paced, twist-filled stories. Facebook and YouTube dominate traffic, while growing local platforms require strong cultural localization.
  • Japan focuses on revenge and workplace dramas, while Korea prefers sweet romances featuring children or reincarnation. Female viewers of all ages dominate both markets, with content needing to match local TV formats and social media habits.
  • Middle East audiences are drawn to family feuds and moral conflicts among elites. The 25–50 high-income demographic shows strong spending power, but content must strictly respect religious and cultural sensitivities.

Comparison of characteristics among mainstream markets

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Source: SocialPeta

Balancing global scale with local execution

In H1 2025, short drama marketing saw aggressive spending and hyper-targeted execution. Over 300 advertisers were active globally, a 53.9% YoY increase, while monthly ad creatives surged 275.38%, underscoring fierce competition for user attention.

  • North America led in advertiser volume, making it the most competitive region.
  • Europe stood out with the highest average number of creatives per advertiser, signaling deep market engagement.
  • Southeast Asia ranked second in advertiser count, driven by its large, mobile-first population.
  • Africa remained largely untapped, with minimal ad activity.

Advertising trends in top countries/regions in H1 2025

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Source: SocialPeta

Winning playbooks from leading platforms

Top platforms have set the pace for global short drama success:

  • ReelShort, an early mover, generated $130M in IAP in Q1 2025. Its success stemmed from early market entry, aggressive social media marketing, and bold genre choices. With 1.34 million creatives globally, it focused on the U.S., Brazil, and France. Hits like HOW TO Tame A SILVERFOX thrived on taboo romance themes.
  • DramaBox gained traction through precise targeting and distinct storytelling. Male-male romance drove viral growth, inspiring widespread imitation. My Secret Agent Husband 2 stood out with its spy-romance tension.
  • New players like NetShort (via translated dramas and mass ad buying) and FlickReels (targeting silver-haired audiences) showed that niche strategies and aggressive scaling can still break through.

Advertising trends in global short drama apps

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Source: SocialPeta

Creative localization

Tailoring ad creatives to local language and culture is essential for effective user acquisition:

  • English creatives often use exclamations and direct calls to action.
  • Spanish versions lean on emotional appeal with rhetorical questions.
  • French favors refined, elegant phrasing.
  • Chinese emphasizes dramatic plot twists and climactic moments.

Universal phrases like “Watch FULL Episodes” remain effective global hooks. The emergence of new titles like ShortBox and Loom Drama reflects a strategic shift from competing with existing hits to generating fresh demand.

Analysis of popular short drama ad copies in H1 2025

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Source: SocialPeta

Innovation meets industrialization

The rise of short drama blockbusters isn’t accidental; it’s the result of sharp genre targeting and increasingly industrialized production:

  • Mainstream genres like sweet romance continue to win over women aged 18–35 with idealized love stories, where cultural localization and attractive casting are key success factors.
  • Revenge and uplift dramas thrive in emerging markets by delivering emotionally satisfying stories of social ascent, often mirroring local frustrations and aspirations.
  • Meanwhile, emerging genres are bridging market gaps. Hits like Pregnant by My Ex’s Professor Dad explore taboo age-gap themes, 1955: Married the Mafia Boss by Contract taps into period nostalgia, and Don’t Mess with Billionaire’s Parents! resonates with aging audiences seeking relevance and respect.

Analysis of popular ad creatives

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Source: SocialPeta

The future of short drama: Three defining trends

Premiumization meets diversification

Platforms are moving away from high-risk bets on single blockbusters toward more calculated, high-probability content models. AI-assisted creation, combined with local production teams, is fast becoming the industry standard.

A broader monetization ecoosystem

While in-app advertising (IAA) and in-app purchases (IAP) remain core, new models are gaining traction. Free-to-watch short dramas are streamlining user acquisition, while branded content, membership subscriptions, and social commerce integrations are creating new revenue streams.

Deeper cultural co-creation

The global short drama market is projected to exceed $3 billion in 2025. China continues to lead the charge with strengths in web novel IPs, efficient production pipelines, and strong technological foundations, powering a new wave of content exports.

This 50-page white paper, led by SocialPeta and supported by industry leaders including DreameShort, OneSight, and Onset Octopus, offers a comprehensive look at the current landscape, from structural shifts to creative best practices.

The report Insight into Global Short Drama App Marketing for H1 2025 goes beyond data. It uncovers the disruptive logic behind content globalization: rooted in localization, driven by innovation, and scaled through industrialization.

Download your copy today to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving market.