Short films designed for smartphones, known as “Vertical Dramas,” are experiencing a boom. In Asia and the US, they are already generating billions in revenue, and experts predict a similar trend for Europe.
An example of these dramas is “Breaking the Ice”: Within the first two minutes, a pregnant Caroline is slapped, insulted, and offered money by the prospective father’s mother to end the relationship and get rid of the baby – all because her son’s hockey scholarship seems to be in jeopardy.
The approximately two-minute episodes of “Breaking the Ice” have already been viewed 350 million times – an impressive figure that highlights the enormous potential of these “Vertical Dramas” (also known as “Microdramas”). Shot in a 9:16 aspect ratio, making them taller than they are wide, these series are perfectly suited for smartphone consumption, with episodes typically lasting between one and three minutes.
Massive Revenues Already in Asia and America
This genre of short videos remained largely unnoticed until revenues exploded: China projects $7 billion in revenue for 2024, producing two million episodes annually. In the US, revenues reached $800 million, with an anticipated increase to $3.8 billion by 2030. This trend is now also reaching Europe.
European broadcasters are also responding: The 23-part ARD teen drama “Between The Beats,” similar in its storytelling to “Breaking the Ice,” focuses on an aspiring ballet dancer who is secretly a K-Pop fan. Produced by Radio Bremen and Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) along with Red Pony, the series is set to launch on TikTok in April, specifically targeting Generation Z.
Frank Zervos, program director at ZDF, confirms that they are also working on similar concepts to “test new serial storytelling approaches” for mobile use.
The Cologne-based production company Banijay Productions Germany is also participating in its parent company’s microdrama offensive. It recently produced a new-adult format comprising 28 episodes, featuring eight well-known German creatives with a combined reach of over 33 million followers.
Target Audience: Primarily Young Women
Otto Steiner, producer of popular TV and streaming formats like “Shopping Queen” and “LOL: Last One Laughing,” plans a significant entry into this segment with his company, Constantin Entertainment. He notes, “Many of these series function like telenovelas and are primarily aimed at a young female audience.” For the Asian market, where the “verticals” trend began, he has already produced two pilot projects.
Steiner estimates the initial economic potential in Europe to be several hundred million euros, despite the market still being in its nascent stages. He predicts: “This genre is appealing not only to traditional broadcasters and platforms but also to major telecommunications companies and content creators with large fan bases – it could evolve into a billion-dollar market in the coming years.” Currently, three-quarters of global revenues come from paying users.
Low Production Costs
The low production costs are particularly attractive to producers. A complete series of 26 two-minute episodes, including unknown actors, costs approximately 50,000 to 300,000 Euros. In comparison, this budget barely covers a single minute of a high-end US series, and a German production like “Babylon Berlin” costs over 3 million Euros per hour.
“Vertical Dramas” were also a focal point at Series Mania in Lille. Although the current quality is not comparable to traditional streaming or TV series, festival director Laurence Herszberg commented, “Why couldn’t that be the case in the future? We also used to believe that sophisticated stories with complex characters couldn’t be developed in six to eight episodes.”
Special Vertical Formats for Europe?
For the European market, it is crucial to urgently examine how such content can be produced and adapted to local conditions.
The “short-form content” approach is not new. Seven years ago, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s streaming service Quibi failed, which aimed to offer short-form content for millennials (Generation Y, born approximately between 1980 and 1995).
Despite the involvement of big names like Justin Timberlake, Guillermo del Toro, and Anna Kendrick, who were meant to attract subscribers with “Quick Bites” for short waiting times, Quibi failed. Production costs of $100,000 or more per minute proved too high. This concept didn’t work out back then, but it might be different in 2026, according to forecasts.
