Short-form scripted dramas are emerging as a global viewing phenomenon, according to a new report published this week by UK-based research firm Ampere Analysis. The company’s latest global survey - covering over 100,000 consumers - reveals that more than one in ten internet users have watched drama episodes lasting ten minutes or less on social media platforms.

Dubbed “mini-dramas” or “micro-dramas,” these short, social-first narratives are gaining rapid traction across YouTube and TikTok, particularly among younger audiences who are increasingly consuming vertical videos on their smartphones. The trend is also influencing how commissioners approach distribution, using social platforms both as direct channels and as gateways to subscription-based streaming apps such as DramaBox and ReelShorts.

The research highlights a distinctly youthful skew, with viewers aged 18-34 being 21% more likely than the average user to have watched a mini-drama in the past month. Geographically, engagement is highest in the Asia-Pacific region - especially Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines - reflecting mobile-first viewing habits. By contrast, audiences in Europe remain below the global average in terms of engagement.

YouTube stands out as the leading platform, accounting for 44% of viewers who have watched mini-dramas, followed closely by TikTok at 38%. Romance, anime and fantasy emerge as the most popular genres, with Ampere suggesting they should remain a focus for future commissioning strategies.

Minal Modha, research director and head of Sports Media, Sponsorship and Consumer Research at Ampere Analysis, comments: “Shorter scripted drama platforms are capitalising on the increasing use of vertical videos customised for phone viewing, particularly among younger audiences. On average, internet users spend close to 50 minutes a day watching videos on social media, rising to over an hour for 18-34-year-olds. Thus, commissioners of mini- and micro-dramas can use social platforms in two main ways: firstly, showing all episodes on services like YouTube and generating advertising revenue or, secondly, teasing the content on TikTok or Instagram before enticing audiences towards subscription apps such as DramaBox.”

Ampere’s findings point to a continued blurring of lines between social media and traditional video-on-demand ecosystems, as short-form storytelling proves its ability to draw in - and retain - large online audiences.

Watch this space.