• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 3 hours ago

The viewing of microdramas -- the new mini-TV series with episodes one to three minutes long in duration on social media and elsewhere -- is evolving.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of viewers watch microdramas for more than one hour per session, according to new research from media agency group Dentsu.

Far and away the country with the highest viewing is China -- where 35% of those surveyed watch them “quite often” or “regularly.”

The U.S., U.K, and Australia are significantly behind, at 10% or 11%.

Microdramas are especially popular among Gen Z and Millennial audiences -- with 30% to 33% of respondents each saying they watch them have “seen a couple,” “quite often” or on a“regular basis.”

This compares to only 11% of older audiences (boomers) and 21% for Gen X, while 20% of the Gen Z audience says they can watch microdramas for two to three hours at a time.

Three of the biggest apps and platforms for watching microdramas include DramaBox, MyDrama, and ReelShort. Research also noted that 35% say they only watch microdramas for free on social media.

Research notes that advertising on microdramas is “largely tolerated,” with only 20% saying there are too many ads.

This is about half (40%) the percentage compared to those  watching TV shows on broadcast TV networks. Just 28% of TV broadcast viewers say the ads on TV networks are “appropriate." Conditions are somewhat more favorable on streamers -- with 28% saying there are too many ads, and  31% agreeing that the amount of ads is at the right level.

The survey was conducted in April 2026, with data from 8,400 respondents across 12 territories.