DramaBox is betting on advertising with The Trade Desk

On April 26, 2026, DramaBox, one of the world's leading duanju platforms, announced the opening of its advertising inventory to programmatic buying through a partnership with The Trade Desk, one of the world's largest players in digital advertising.

Advertisers can now purchase advertising space on DramaBox using the same tools they use for connected TV, video platforms, and major digital media. This integration gives DramaBox access to a much larger international advertising market than campaigns negotiated directly with brands.

For the platform, this development provides a new source of revenue to complement episode purchases and subscriptions. This is a significant opportunity in a sector where user acquisition costs remain high and competition continues to intensify.

Other players are also exploring this avenue. In China, Xiaomi launched the Weiguan Duanju app with free access supported by advertising. Platforms like ShortMax and GoodShort also offer some of their content for free to broaden their audience. Advertising is thus playing an increasingly important role in the duanju economy.

Long focused on microtransactions, duanju platforms are gradually adopting revenue models closer to those of video streaming. With this partnership, DramaBox continues this evolution while strengthening its appeal to major international media buyers.

As the audience for duanju grows globally, major players in digital advertising are increasingly interested in this market, with DramaBox now being one of the most visible platforms outside of China.