In China in 2024: the Duanju market will overtake the cinema market

There was a time when cinema was the flagship of China's cultural industry. Today, a new format is gaining ground in rankings, usage, and imagination: the microdrama (Duanju). Designed for mobile devices and condensed into a few minutes, these vertical narratives are reinventing popular storytelling in the instant era.

A market larger than that of film

In 2023, China's micro-drama market reached 35.9 billion yuan. In 2024, it surpassed 50 billion yuan , surpassing the domestic film industry's revenue of 47 billion yuan for the first time. This shift marks a structural turning point. According to projections, the micro-drama market could exceed 100 billion yuan by 2027.

Rapid growth, massive jobs

The sector's dynamism is also measured by the creation of companies: more than 16,000 micro-drama companies were established in China in 2024, generating more than 600,000 jobs . From scriptwriting to post-production and algorithmic marketing, an entire ecosystem is emerging, at the crossroads of entertainment and technology.

An export that is accelerating

The phenomenon is no longer limited to China. In the first quarter of 2025, microdramas generated more than 2.4 billion yuan internationally . The United States already accounts for more than 45% of revenue outside China, ahead of Japan and Australia. The genre is winning over new audiences, attracted by its brevity, its twists, and its ability to adapt to local codes.

What was still considered a "niche" in 2022 has, in three years, become a pillar of the content economy. Platforms like ReelShort, DramaBox, and NetShort are waging a fierce battle with advertising campaigns and targeted genres.

Sources:

• Chambers , October 15, 2024

• China Daily , December 27, 2024

• WARC , February 20, 2025

• Awn China , 2025

• SocialPeta , 2025