2024 Micro-Short Drama Industry White Paper: Over 36,400 New Series, Accounting for More Than 60% of Heat Value

DataEye’s “2024 Micro Short Drama Industry White Paper” was officially released today!

I. Market Overview and Forecast
(1) Micro Short Drama Market Size
DataEye Research Institute predicts that the market size of micro short dramas in China will reach 50.4 billion yuan in 2024, exceed 68 billion yuan in 2025, and break through 100 billion yuan in 2027.

In 2024, the market size of micro short dramas in China surpassed that of movie box office for the first time. In terms of content forms, micro short dramas demonstrated greater diversity. Both cultural tourism dramas and brand-customized dramas witnessed significant growth in 2024.

We expect the growth rate of the mainland micro short drama market in 2025 to be slightly higher than that in 2024. In 2024, influenced by factors such as regulation, industry competition, and piracy, the micro short drama industry witnessed a notable process of self-purification and survival of the fittest. By 2025, it is anticipated that the industry will have achieved standardization in operational processes, forward-looking regulatory and prevention mechanisms, professionalization in talent cultivation systems, and diversification in technological application scenarios. The industry will largely bid farewell to its wild growth phase and move towards high-quality development.

(2) Micro-short drama investment scale
DataEye Research Institute estimates that the investment scale for micro-short dramas will be approximately 33 billion yuan in 2024; it is expected to approach 40 billion yuan in 2025 and exceed 46 billion yuan in 2027.

Compared with the previous estimates, the projected figures for the next three years have been revised downward. The main reasons are: ① Intensified industry competition has led some manufacturers to exit the market; ② Rampant piracy has severely affected investment and flow; ③ Stricter regulation has pushed the industry towards a focus on high-quality products; ④ Enterprises are expanding overseas on a large scale in search of revenue breakthroughs.

According to the research of DataEye, it is estimated that the free micro-short drama market in China will be approximately 25 billion yuan in 2024, and is expected to increase to about 35 billion yuan in 2025, and is likely to reach 45 billion yuan in 2027.

The IAA short drama market saw a significant year-on-year growth of 150% in 2024, mainly due to: ① the sudden rise of Hongguo short dramas, and the entry of major players such as Pinduoduo, Taobao, JD.com, and Meituan into the market through the IAA model; ② the relatively low base in the previous period.

However, the growth rate of IAA short dramas is expected to decline in the next two years, mainly due to: ① The diversified development of the market: New models such as revenue-sharing short dramas, brand-customized dramas, cultural tourism dramas, and annual subscription cards may divert the market share of the IAA model; ② The bottleneck faced by platform eCPM and the audience’s growing immunity to advertisements; ③ The increasingly fierce market competition also poses a challenge to the growth of IAA short dramas.

II. Micro Short Drama Industry Map
(1) Overview of Micro Short Drama Platforms in China 

According to the short drama version data of ADX, in 2024, a total of 173 short drama platforms had their cumulative heat values exceed the one million mark, with the total heat values of these platforms exceeding 26 billion.
In terms of geographical distribution, these platforms are mainly concentrated in Beijing, Zhejiang, and Guangdong. The number of platforms in these three regions accounts for half of the country’s total, and the total heat values they contribute account for nearly 70% of the national total.

(III) Overview of Chinese Micro Short Drama Producers

According to the ADX short drama version: In 2024, a total of 474 short drama producers achieved a cumulative heat value exceeding one million, with the total heat value of these producers exceeding 16.9 billion.

In terms of heat value distribution, Shaanxi, Henan and Zhejiang rank the top three, with the total heat value of the three regions accounting for over 60% of the national total.

In terms of geographical distribution, Zhejiang leads by a wide margin with nearly 30% of the production companies, followed closely by Beijing, Shaanxi and Henan. These four regions together account for over 60% of the total number of production companies in the country.

In addition to the traditional film and television powerhouses of Zhejiang and Beijing, regions such as Shaanxi, Henan and Chongqing have also emerged in the short-video market, demonstrating a strong growth momentum.

III. Flow Analysis
(1) Distribution of Micro Short Drama Heat Values

According to the short drama version data of ADX, the total heat value of micro-short dramas in the mainland market in 2024 is approximately 25.3 billion yuan.

In the first six months of 2024, the heat value of short dramas showed an overall upward trend. From June to July, the heat value of short dramas experienced a slight adjustment due to regulatory and other factors. Entering the second half of the year, the heat value of short dramas gradually stabilized, with the monthly heat value maintained at around 2.2 to 2.3 billion yuan.

In December, the heat value reached 2.316 billion, setting a new historical record. This was mainly due to the dual influence of the “Christmas + New Year’s Day” holidays and the preheating of the Spring Festival period. The number of new dramas in December hit a new high, accounting for as much as 88%.

(2) Analysis of the Scale of Investment: Heat Values of Male and Female Frequency Channels

According to the short drama version data of ADX, the total heat value of male-oriented dramas in 2024 is approximately 9.9 billion, while that of female-oriented dramas is about 15.4 billion.

In 2024, the heat value of female-oriented content accounted for 61% (outpacing the 39% of male-oriented content), and the lead continued to widen (53% at the beginning of the year and 57% in the first half of the year).

Female-oriented dramas are generating strong revenue: In 2024, the number of female-oriented short dramas participating in investment and distribution is 70% higher than that of male-oriented ones. An increasing number of companies are entering the female-oriented market or making it their main focus.

(3) Analysis of投放 Scale: Heat Value of Themes

The short drama version data of ADX shows that romance, revenge, and urban themes have taken the top three spots in the sub-genre rankings, with their heat values far ahead. The family theme has made rapid progress, rising to the fourth place. The popularity of the war god theme has declined, ranking seventh.

Overall, the landscape of short drama themes in 2024 remains relatively stable. Traditional popular themes such as revenge, romance, and urban life continue to be the main force in terms of investment and promotion. Additionally, themes like family, ancient costume, sweet romance, fantasy, and time travel have gradually gained attention and begun to carve out a niche in the market.

(4) Analysis of the Scale of Investment: Number of New and Old Short Dramas

According to the short drama version data of ADX, in 2024, the total number of micro short dramas participating in the flow (deduplicated) exceeded 44,600, among which the total number of new dramas exceeded 36,400, accounting for approximately 82%.

Looking at it by month, the number of micro-short dramas invested in each month has steadily increased. The long-tail effect of old dramas is significant, and the supply of new dramas is basically stable.

This data indicates that: ① The number of investments has increased, and old dramas, having been verified by the market, can be continuously invested in over the long term; ② New dramas continue to enter the market each month, and the production capacity is relatively stable.

(V) Analysis of Investment Scale: Heat Values of New and Old Short Dramas 

The short drama version data of ADX shows that the total heat value of new dramas in 2024 exceeded 16 billion yuan, accounting for approximately 64%.

Overall, the number of new dramas invested in each month remains relatively stable, and the proportion of heat values stays at a high level, consistently around 60%.

In December, influenced by both the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays and the preheating of the Spring Festival period, the heat value of new dramas reached an all-time high, with the proportion of heat value exceeding 80%.

(6) Analysis of Investment Scale: New Drama Release Cycle

According to the data from the short version of ADX, the average duration of new drama series in 2024 is approximately 7 days, with a relatively short life cycle. (The average duration of new dramas in December increased to about 12 days, significantly raising the annual average. The average duration of new dramas in the first 11 months was around 6.5 days.)

The significant increase in the duration of new drama series released in December can mainly be attributed to two factors: first, a larger number of new drama series were released that month; second, the manufacturers intensified their investment in advertising.

As the short drama industry gradually moves towards high-quality production, the number of long-term released short dramas is also increasing. High-quality short dramas have shown a significant long-tail effect in the market. Among the top 20 short dramas in terms of heat value in 2024, the average release duration reached approximately 198 days; for the top 10 leading short dramas, their cumulative average release duration was about 191 days.

(7) Analysis of Investment Scale: Distribution of Short Drama Heat Values

In 2024, approximately half of the short dramas (51%) had a cumulative heat value of less than one million.

More than 80% (83%) of short dramas have a heat value of less than 5 million, while over 90% (92%) have a heat value of less than 10 million. 1.38% of short dramas have a heat value exceeding 30 million, and 0.33% have a heat value exceeding 50 million.

The distribution of heat values for short dramas shows a highly concentrated characteristic. Specifically, 106 short dramas (accounting for 1.38% of the total) have a combined heat value of 4.6 billion, which accounts for approximately 18% of all short dramas.

IV. Native Analysis on Douyin App
(1) Native Analysis: Distribution of Male and Female Frequencies 

In the native short dramas on Douyin in 2024, female-themed content dominated.

Specifically, whether it is the total sample or the popular short dramas with over 50 million views, female-oriented short dramas account for approximately 66% of the total number of short dramas, while male-oriented ones make up about 34%.

This is because ① among the user groups of native short dramas on Douyin, female users from first- and second-tier cities account for a relatively high proportion (higher than those of mini-program short dramas); ② the native short dramas launched on Douyin are of higher quality and more refined, and female-oriented content is more suitable for refined content. In contrast, male-oriented content such as war gods, superpowers, and fantasy genres, which are set against the backdrop of an underdog’s rise, are more suitable for mini-program short dramas.

(II) Native Analysis on the Terminal: Distribution of Themes 

Among the genre distribution of native short dramas on Douyin, romance, urban life and rags-to-riches themes take the top three spots, which is consistent with the popularity of IAP short dramas. The top three genres account for over 40% of the total number of short dramas.

Because female users have higher stickiness among Douyin short drama users, sweet romance, family, and ancient costume dramas are very popular. Although the war god theme ranks only sixth among Douyin’s native short dramas, it still has a certain audience base.

Genres such as fantasy, time travel, cute babies, son-in-law, mystery, and tragic romance account for a relatively small proportion. This might be related to the relatively small audience for these genres or the insufficient innovation in their content.

(3) Native Analysis of the Endpoints: Distribution of the Number of Online Instances 

In 2024, the native short drama market on Douyin saw a rapid surge, with the number of short dramas launched throughout the year exceeding 20,000. The growth was particularly notable in the second half of the year, with explosive growth starting from November. In November, over 4,300 short dramas were launched, and in December, the number exceeded 4,900. It is expected that the number of native short dramas on Douyin will further increase in 2025.

Leading platforms such as Dianzhong, Maiya, Tianqiao, and Juyuan have all significantly increased their investment in the native short drama market on the terminal to compete for market share.

Data from the Douyin platform shows that the number of short dramas joining the Douyin content cooperation platform in the second half of 2024 increased by 214% compared to the first half. The average revenue per title for copyright holders operating natively on Douyin grew by 143%, with the revenue of popular titles reaching as high as 4 million yuan.

(4) Native Analysis on Short Video Platforms: Distribution of Short Video Play Count

In 2024, nearly half (45%) of short dramas had a cumulative play count of less than one million.

More than six in ten (63%) short dramas have a play count of less than 5 million, and those with a play count exceeding 100 million are extremely rare, accounting for only 4.3% of the total.

The distribution of short drama views is highly concentrated. In 2024, the total views of 665 short dramas reached 124.6 billion, accounting for approximately 40% of the entire market share.

In terms of concentration, the concentration of native short videos on mobile devices is more pronounced than that of paid short videos. This also indicates that the competition in the market for native short videos on mobile devices is more intense.

V. Short Drama + Brand Marketing
(1) Analysis of Brand Short Drama: Upward Trend

From the trend of going online, the two peaks of brand short dramas in 2024 are in May and October, which coincide with the preheating periods of the 618 and 11.11 promotions. According to incomplete statistics, a total of 354 brand short dramas were launched in 2024.

The marketing efforts for short dramas during the Mid-Year 618 Sale were even greater. Among the 354 brand short dramas captured by DataEye, 86 were launched from May to June, and 61 were launched from October to November 5th. Among them, about 53 were during the Double Eleven Sale period, which was slightly lower than the 75 during the 618 Sale period.

In terms of the specific number of days for the major promotions, the Double Eleven promotion (October 8th – November 13th) lasts for 37 days, while the 618 Mid-Year promotion (May 6th – June 20th), which coincides with Mother’s Day in May, has a longer duration of 46 days.

(II) Analysis of Brand Short Dramas: Top 15 Categories for Investment

In terms of categories, beauty and personal care brands were the most enthusiastic about sponsoring short dramas in 2024, with a total of 131 short dramas sponsored by them, accounting for approximately 37%. E-commerce platforms followed with 54, followed by pharmaceutical brands with 46, and life category brands with 45.

It is worth noting that the pharmaceutical category has significantly increased its investment in brand short dramas in the second half of this year, with 16 short dramas being launched in December alone.

In addition, there are 15 short plays where multiple brands insert advertisements in a single episode.

(III) Analysis of Brand Short Dramas: Top 15 Brands in Terms of Investment 

In terms of specific brands, the Taobao-Tmall system of e-commerce platforms is the largest advertiser of brand short dramas in 2024. On Taobao and Tmall, there are 40 brand short dramas excluding those presented in the form of collections. This year’s 618 and Double Eleven events have also seen in-depth cooperation with Kuaishou’s Xingmang Premium Short Dramas. During the Tmall promotion, it exclusively sponsored 35 brand short dramas.

Secondly, Sanjiu Pharmaceutical, a drug company, sponsored a total of 28 brand short dramas. Notably, Sanjiu Pharmaceutical made a strong push in Q4, releasing 16 short dramas in November and December.

Last year’s major advertiser, the beauty brand, has seen a decline in its advertising efforts this year. Ranking third is the beauty brand Olay with a total of 12 advertisements, and fourth is the beauty brand HANSHU with a total of 11 advertisements.

VI. Short Plays + Cultural Tourism
(1) Analysis of Cultural Tourism Plays: Total Playback Volume 

The “Travel with Micro Short Dramas” creation plan has released 162 recommended dramas. The related short drama topics on Douyin alone have accumulated over 7.6 billion views. Among them, 21 dramas have exceeded 100 million views on Douyin.

Among them, the ancient legend-themed micro short drama “Don’t Panic, Your Majesty”, selected by Beijing Bureau and iQIYI and produced by Beijing iQIYI Technology, has achieved 1.24 billion views on Douyin. In the drama, the set design not only reflects the local scenery of the shooting location but also draws inspiration from classic scenes in “Journey to the West” such as the Five Elements Mountain and Flower and Fruit Mountain, and echoes them with contemporary popular tourist attractions like the Riyue Mountain in Qinghai Province and the 5A scenic area of Huaguo Mountain in Lianyungang. The plot design ingeniously uses ancient stories to illustrate modern times, enhancing the popularity of the scenic spots through modern methods such as panda performances, package accommodation, and influencer exploration of the scenic area, and advancing the story in a humorous way.

(2) Analysis of Cultural and Tourism Dramas: Distribution of Filming Locations
Among the 162 recommended short dramas in the “Travel with Micro Short Dramas” creation plan, by filming location, Zhejiang has 28, Jiangsu 15, Guangdong 11, Sichuan 10, Beijing 9, Hunan 9, and Hebei 8.

Zhejiang leads in terms of scenic spots with cliffs, mainly due to the following reasons: Firstly, Zhejiang boasts a variety of natural landscapes such as mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, and wetlands. Secondly, Zhejiang has a long history and rich cultural heritage, featuring numerous ancient towns, villages, historical districts, and ancient buildings. Thirdly, Zhejiang is home to several well-known film and television bases, including Hengdian World Studios and Xiangshan Film and Television City.

(III) Analysis of Cultural and Tourism Dramas: Distribution of Subject Matter Directions XXXX

Among the 162 recommended short video series under the “Travel with Micro Short Dramas” creation plan, there are 18 on rural revitalization, 20 on historical culture, 38 on intangible cultural heritage, 9 on cultural relics, 5 on national cultural parks, 7 on industrial development, 29 on urban civilization, and 36 on scenic spots and ecological civilization.

These works feature a wide range of themes and types, with continuous innovation and creativity. They are shot in 31 provincial administrative regions, promoting the development of cultural tourism.

(4) Analysis of Cultural and Tourism Dramas: Public Opinion Hotspots Related to Micro Short Dramas

In the online public opinions and contents related to “micro-short dramas” in 2024 (including articles, videos, comments, forums, blogs, etc.), there are many hot words related to cultural tourism. These include: the Long March Route, Camellia, Linfen, rural areas, Zhengzhou, Beijing, Guiyang, etc.

Micro-short dramas have deeply permeated all aspects of people’s lives and become a hot topic. At the same time, they have also spread into various industries. Besides culture and tourism, they are also frequently associated with topics such as technology/artificial intelligence, concerts, history, radio and television, etc. in public opinion and content.

VII. 2024 Micro Short Drama Heat Index
(1) Top 100 Annual Hot Dramas
The total heat value of the top 100 annual hot dramas in 2024 reached 4.403 billion. “Please Offer Your Sword on the Peach Blossom Horse” topped the list, with Dianzhong, Maiya, and Zhangwan performing outstandingly!

In terms of heat value, the heat value of all the top 100 hit TV series in 2024 exceeded 31 million, and the total heat value of the top 100 hit TV series reached 4.4403 billion.

Two short dramas from Dianzhong swept the top two spots. “Please Accept My Proposal on the Peach Horse” topped the list with a heat value of nearly 140 million, making it the only short drama to break 100 million this year. “Unreachable Love” ranked second with a heat value exceeding 80 million.

The third place is “My Sisters Regretted After I Left Home” by Tomato, with a heat value of 77.305 million. The fourth place is “The Arrival of the Long Princess” by Malt, with a heat value of nearly 75 million. The fifth place is “My Flash Marriage to a Tycoon” by Palplay, with a heat value of nearly 70 million.

This year, 13 short dramas on the top 100 hit drama list have a heat value exceeding 60 million. The heat value of the top 25 short dramas all exceeds 50 million.

(2) Annual Platform Top 100 List
2024 Annual Short Drama Top 100 List – Platform Providers: The total heat value of the top 100 platform providers reached 24.9 billion, with Tomato, Dianzhong, JiuZhou, MaiYa, and ShanHai leading the pack!

In terms of heat value, Tomatoo, Dianzhong and JiuZhou take the top three spots. Among them, Tomatoo has a heat value of nearly 4.1 billion, Dianzhong has a heat value of over 3.5 billion, and JiuZhou has a heat value of over 2.5 billion. In addition, Maiya, Shanhai, Zhangwan and Tianqiao also perform well, with heat values all exceeding 1 billion.

In terms of the number of short dramas, Tomato, Dianzhong and Jiu Zhou still occupy the top three positions. Tomato is associated with 1,583 short dramas, significantly ahead of other platforms. Dianzhong and Jiu Zhou are associated with 792 and 702 short dramas respectively.

From the perspective of the number of times they have been listed on the DataEye Short Drama Heat Index Top 30, platforms such as Tomato, Dianzhong, JiuZhou, MaiYa, and Shan Hai have been highly active. Among them, Tomato, Dianzhong, and JiuZhou have all been listed over a thousand times, reaching 1,692, 1,617, and 1,254 times respectively. The number of times MaiYa and Shan Hai have been listed has exceeded 500.

It is worth noting that among the top 100, the total heat value of the top 10 platforms amounts to 17.88 billion, accounting for over 70% of the total heat value of the top 100 list.

(3) Top 100 Producers of the Year
2024 Top 100 Short Drama Producers – Total Heat Value Exceeds 16.8 Billion: Chongqing Siyue Alliance Tops the List, Xi’an Qiuyuan Film & Television, Tinghuadao, and Sansheng Wanwu Stand Out.

In 2024, the total heat value of the top 100 production companies exceeded 13.5 billion, accounting for 80% of the total heat value of the market, which was over 16.8 billion. The leading effect was obvious.

Specifically, Chongqing April Alliance topped the top 100 list with a cumulative heat value of 1.354 billion. In 2024, Chongqing April Alliance launched a total of 119 short dramas, among which it entered the top 30 of the DataEye short drama heat list a total of 540 times. It is the only production company on the list with a heat value exceeding 1 billion.

Xi’an Qiu Yuan Film and Television ranks second in cumulative heat value, reaching 722 million. In 2024, it released as many as 199 short dramas, the highest among the top 100 producers, and was listed in the top 30 for 309 times.

Tinghua Island ranked third, with a cumulative heat value of 571 million. It launched 33 short dramas and was listed in the top 30 of the 2024 ranking 201 times. The cumulative heat value of the top 3 production companies in 2024 all exceeded 500 million.

Sansheng Wanwu and Zhengzhou Rixin Yueyi ranked fourth and fifth respectively, with a relatively small gap in heat values, at 493 million and 488 million respectively.

In addition, Zhengzhou Lebukezhi, Xi’an Xiazi, Xi’an Duxian, Fenghua Zhengmao Film and Xi’an Fengxing respectively occupied the 6th to 10th places. The total heat value of the top 10 exceeded 5.6 billion, among which the heat value of the top 9 all exceeded 350 million.

In terms of regions, Henan, Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces stand out, with 17, 25 and 23 seats respectively in the top 100 list, and their associated heat values reach 13.467 billion, 10.39 billion and 10.108 billion respectively.

The above is the entire content of the abridged version of DataEye’s “2024 Micro Short Drama Industry White Paper”.

This article is from the WeChat official account “DataEye Short Drama Observation”, author: DataEye Research Institute. 36Kr is authorized to release it.