Microdramas have grown from a niche format into a major global content sector, research firm K7 Media says.

K7 presented its figures alongside MIPCOM, showing hundreds of millions of users watching bite-sized serialized dramas.

Episodes last one to two minutes, are shot vertically and are built around cliffhangers roughly every 60 seconds.

Viewers make small payments to unlock the next episode, with plots built on tropes like secret billionaires and hidden heirs.

The format began in China, and microdrama apps have since climbed app-store charts in the US and Europe.

Significant investment is entering the sector, though the sums remain small next to traditional TV budgets.

K7 calls it a hot trend but a complex ecosystem, as rising mobile user acquisition costs squeeze the business model.

Consumer-protection advocates have raised concerns about micropayment mechanics that encourage binge spending by younger users.

Read the full article for more details on the microdrama boom.