James Franco is a well-known American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the film 127 Hours (2010), in which he played a mountaineer trapped in a canyon. He has also won two Golden Globe Awards: one for the television film James Dean (2001), and the other for The Disaster Artist (2017), a film he directed and starred in. He also appeared in Milk with Sean Penn , and in Spring Breakers . This renowned actor currently stars in Love, Lies & Frank , a series broadcast on Shortical since August 12, 2026. Shortical is an Israeli mobile app specializing in short-form series, known for its highly automated production approach. It has raised $100 million from Singaporean fund PvX Partners and claims 20 million episode views per month. The series airs in short episodes on Shortical. Franco plays Jimmy Franks, the head of an advertising agency who must confront both criminal and supernatural threats. He stars alongside Eric Guilmette and Neela Jolene, two actors already familiar with this type of series. Franco isn't the first well-known actor to venture into this format. Taye Diggs was one of the first, even creating his own micro-series app. More recently, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart, and Issa Rae have also gotten involved, as producers, actors, or content creators. For Guy Shimoni, CEO of Shortical, Franco's arrival marks "an important milestone for the vertical entertainment industry". The filming of "Love, Lies & Frank" falls within this new union framework. At the end of 2025, SAG-AFTRA launched the "Verticals Agreement," a specific agreement for productions with budgets under $300,000, which guarantees actors a minimum wage, regulated filming conditions, and protections regarding the use of their image and their on-screen credit. Prior to this agreement, productions of this type operated in a legal gray area, lacking a clear framework for actor status and potential broadcast rights. The studio also clarifies that "Love, Lies & Frank" contains no AI-generated performances or stunt doubles, while Shortical also produces content entirely created by AI.

In her new column Duanju Meet Africa, journalist and Africa correspondent Blessing Azugama explores the revolution of short-form storytelling across the continent. She begins with a striking observation: in today’s attention economy, the force that defines every creator’s visibility online, the length of a story no longer determines its impact. What matters now is the ability to captivate within the first three seconds. Blessing notes that fast and emotional storytelling has always been part of African culture. In markets and family gatherings alike, the art of narration thrives through stories filled with rhythm, tension, and emotion. This instinct to seize the listener from the very first line already foreshadows what micro-dramas achieve today on screens: intensity that is condensed, immediate, and visceral. According to her, emerging platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox show that a big screen is no longer required to move or surprise an audience, only a big feeling. With its wealth of languages and styles, Africa is uniquely positioned to thrive in this new era of vertical storytelling. “In the attention economy,” she reminds us, “victory doesn’t belong to the longest story, but to the one that moves us first.” #blessingAzugama

TikTok, a platform with over one billion active users, is partnering with the Sundance Film Institute, a global leader in independent film education, to launch an international competition dedicated to writing micro-series. Submissions opened on August 19, 2026, and close on September 9. A professional jury selects five projects from the applications received. Each winner receives a $5,000 grant, access to Sundance Collab courses, a pitch preparation workshop, and a live presentation to the TikTok team on November 6. The application process goes beyond a simple idea. It requires a title, genre, a one-sentence pitch, biographies of two to four characters, a synopsis of the complete series arc, scripts for the first thirty episodes (maximum 45 pages), and a series bible. All materials must be written in English. The use of generative artificial intelligence is prohibited in the application process. The competition is open to creators from all over the world, alone or in pairs, aged 18 and over. Only one entry is allowed per person. By submitting their application, candidates grant TikTok a 21-day right of first review from the date of notification of their status. This period allows the platform to decide whether it wishes to make an offer on the project, without automatic acquisition. The competition extends a partnership launched in June 2026 between the two organizations: a free four-week program to learn how to write micro-series, which ended on August 18, the day before applications opened. Sundance Collab builds on the success of "Screen Time," produced by Hoorae Digital and distributed on TikTok and the PineDrama app, which garnered 75 million views in one week. For the duanju program, the partnership between an institution like Sundance and a platform like TikTok shifts the format's landscape. Beyond simply broadcasting content, it involves training and talent scouting, with direct access to a broadcaster at the end of the program. While the grant remains modest compared to production budgets, the link between script development and a direct pitch to TikTok provides a rare entry point for independent creators. The next deadlines are set: notification of finalists on October 30, pitch workshop on November 3, presentation to TikTok on November 6.

In July 2026, SocialPeta measured the amount of advertising exposure that micro-drama series received in France. DramaShorts dominated that month, accounting for the majority of the most commercially successful titles. Behind these productions, carefully crafted for advertising, are real actors, some of whom play multiple roles across different series. On DramaShorts, Reluctant Billionaire Protector recycles a classic trope: a young homeless woman, taken in by a club owner after doing him a favor, who becomes much more than just his ward. The male lead is played by Rob LaColla Jr., alongside Jia Gay, Jacqueline Brooks, and Dan Gallun. In real life, LaColla Jr. is an American actor from Dutchess County, New York, who also appeared in Vanished in Yosemite . My Sexy Mentor Seduced Me , also on DramaShorts, features a shy theater employee whose relationship with her mentor actress blossoms into a secret romance. The two lead roles are played by Eloise Lola Gordon and Alissa Filoramo, the latter appearing a second time in this month's lineup, this time in The Billionaire Sex Addict and His Therapist . Gordon, for her part, is an actress, writer, and director from Denver and a graduate of the New School of Drama. In this other DramaShorts series, a therapist finds herself torn between her professional duty and a growing attraction to her billionaire client, a plot point that several accounts specializing in duanju (a type of Japanese drama) have highlighted in its exploration of professional boundaries. The two roles are played by Alissa Filoramo and Benjamin Nowak. Filoramo has been active since 2019 and has over twenty productions to her credit. A change of platform with Mr. Denver , on MyDrama: a young woman bought at a clandestine auction by a billionaire becomes his personal assistant, before discovering that he actually heads a powerful mafia clan. The title role is played by Max Tkachenko, alongside Sergey Denga, Kateryna Fain, and Nazar Grabar. Ukrainian actor Tkachenko made his feature film debut in Killhouse ; the series, however, generated remarkably high impressions relative to its advertising volume, indicating that it goes beyond mere marketing hype. On DramaBox, Think Again! I'm the Hidden Boss Mom follows a seemingly ordinary mother who is publicly humiliated by other mothers in the PTA before being exposed as the businesswoman who actually runs the school. Dorothy Mannine stars alongside Rob Silverman. Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, she trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Seven identifiable actors share the five most prominent series this month, four of which are part of DramaShorts alone. This figure highlights a reality of the industry: beyond interchangeable scripts and relentless advertising, a handful of actors, often classically trained, move from one production to another, sometimes even from one title to another within the same month. #SocialPeta

ReelShort is expected to surpass the $1 billion revenue mark in 2026, a level that marks a significant shift for the duanju outside of China. According to an analysis by Media Partners Asia (MPA) cited by Deadline, Variety, and Screen Daily, the platform operated by Crazy Maple Studio is projected to reach approximately $1.05 billion in revenue this year, a 34% increase. The financial results are also evolving. After a loss of approximately $12 million in 2025, ReelShort is expected to generate nearly $40 million in net profit in 2026. The platform would thus transition from a very costly audience acquisition phase to a model capable of generating profits on a large scale. This development comes as the global duanju market outside of China continues to grow rapidly. MPA estimates its revenue at $3.6 billion in 2026 and forecasts a market of $9.5 billion by 2031. ReelShort is expected to account for approximately 29% of this market, ahead of DramaBox with 21%, DramaWave with 13%, NetShort with 10%, and GoodShort with 6%. This ranking provides a measure of market concentration. The five platforms alone account for a significant share of duanju revenue outside of China. These five also appear in Duanju.news' tracking of the top apps in this format, although rankings based on downloads or app store positions reflect a different reality of revenue. ReelShort's growth is largely due to better control of marketing expenses. The platform is also developing distribution agreements with telecom operators, notably AIS in Thailand and Globe in the Philippines. These partnerships allow duanju to be integrated into distribution environments already used daily by millions of subscribers. For viewers, this evolution strengthens access to the format on mobile without relying solely on user acquisition through social media advertising. Content can be distributed directly through operators, their mobile offerings, and their digital ecosystems. Distribution thus becomes an integral part of the business model, just like the production and monetization of episodes. The case of ReelShort comes at a time when major players in the sector continue to increase their revenues. In 2025, Sensor Tower already estimated ReelShort's in-app purchase revenue at $130 million in the first quarter, compared to $120 million for DramaBox. Their cumulative revenues since launch had reached $490 million and $450 million, respectively. The dynamics remain competitive, however. More recent data from Apptopia shows that ReelShort retains nearly 30% of in-app spending in duanju, despite a decline in its share of daily active users. DramaBox is experiencing a similar trend, while new players are gaining ground in downloads and audience share. ReelShort's anticipated return to profitability provides a precise financial indicator for a market previously measured primarily by downloads, audience size, and acquisition costs. The duanju outside of China has now reached a sufficient size that the central question is no longer solely one of its growth, but also of the platforms' ability to convert that growth into profits.

This ranking includes actors and actresses who have appeared in a duanju (micro-drama) series and have an official Instagram account. Chinese actors may be underrepresented, as Instagram is not a widely used social network in China. To report an error or omission, please contact our editorial team at studio-phoceen@hotmail.fr . Ranking date: August 17, 2026. # Name Followers Country Series 1 Lionel Ferro 10M Argentina Cómo Deshacerse de una Estrella de Fútbol 2 Barbie Vélez (Bárbara Pucheta) 3.7M Argentina Cómo Deshacerse de una Estrella de Fútbol 3 Prachi Tehlan 2.5M India Tum Woh Nahi 4 Sofía "Jujuy" Jiménez 1.7M Argentina Cómo Deshacerse de una Estrella de Fútbol 5 Maksim Chmerkovskiy 1.1M Ukraine / United States Wild Silence 6 Mariana Garzón 1M Colombia Verdadera Heredera vs Falsa Millonaria 7 Rosi Beltrán 792K Uruguay Rey a la Fuerza 8 Roman Doduik 719K France Putain de soirée 9 Neela Jolene 647K United States The Princess with the Cursed Mark 10 Cameron Porras 479K United States My Stepbrother's Dirty Secret 11 Tiffany Alvord 479K United States Back Off! I'm the Real Mrs. CEO 12 Amber Martinez 441K United States Surfside Girls 13 Paulina Ruiz Menéndez 325K Mexico La CEO y el Padre de su Hija 14 Himani Sahani 321K India Kuku TV Awards 2025 (Best Vamp Character) 15 Autumn Noel 318K United States Fated to My Forbidden Alpha 16 Eric Taylor Guilmette 287K United States You Belong With Me 17 Evan Faunce 273K United States Marry Me Mr White 18 Cayman Cardiff 267K United States Unwanted True Mate 19 Nazar Grabar 245K Ukraine Mr. Denver 20 Ma Xiaoyu (马小宇) 229K China 闪婚后我成了大佬的掌中之物 21 Jordan De Luxe 213K France Roi Gandolfi 22 Noah Fearnley 207K United States Escorting the Heiress 23 Mattias Vega 200K Colombia Apártense, Llegó el Magnate 24 Evan Adams 180K United States Kissed by Claw and Fang 25 Anthony Joubert 178K France Roi Gandolfi 26 Karina Achaeva 171K Russia / United States End of the World, Start of My Empire 27 Jackson Tiller 169K United States Falling for a Superstar 28 Jarred Harper 167K United States Mancini's Forbidden Bride 29 Gilles Saint-Louis 160K France (Martinique) L'île entre nous 30 Seth Edeen 148K United States Breaking the Ice 31 Gérald Michiara 145K France Roi Gandolfi / Les aventures avec ma voisine 32 Robert Palmer Watkins 141K United States A Mistaken Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire 33 Puja Bharati Sharma 141K India My Homeless Billionaire Husband 34 Ariel Yasmine 128K United States Move Aside I'm the Final Boss 35 J.J. Michaels 125K United States Uncle William, Please Say I Do 36 Brahim Zaibat 123K France Roi Gandolfi 37 Meg Bush 107K United States Sideways for Attention 38 Neven Tomic 103K Croatia / United States Seducing Mr. Larsen 39 Volodymyr Pielikh 102K Ukraine When Forever Fell Apart 40 Ben Armstrong 101K United States If Loving You Is a Sin Then I'll Go To Hell 41 Sam Myerson 101K United States Break My Heart Again 42 Jean-Marie Bigard 100K France Roi Gandolfi 43 Nicole Mattox 93K United States Breaking the Ice 44 Bryan Trésor 91K France Roi Gandolfi 45 Artem Plyonder 91K Ukraine A Queen for the Mafia Kings 46 Sarah Moliski 88K United States Her Double, His Trouble 47 Tess Dinerstein 87K United States How to Tame a Silver Fox 48 Bogdan Ruban 84K Ukraine Young Elite 49 Rhett Wellington 81K United States Bound By Honor 50 Mariah Moss 80K United States The Divorced Billionaire Heiress 51 Brittany Marsicek 79K United States Cherished By My Ex-Husband's Brother 52 Joseph Purcell 74K Australia / United States His Nerd 53 Tetiana Zlova 74K Ukraine The Woman Starts the War 54 Luke Charles Stafford 73K United States Accidental Surrogate for Alpha 55 Nick Ritacco 71K United States Fated to My Forbidden Vampire 56 Zhao Zhendong (赵振栋) 69K China 绝对臣服 57 Marc Herrmann 66K United States Undercover Prison King 58 Julia Buinovska 65K Ukraine Engaged to the Enemy 59 Richard Sharrah 62K United States Mommy Don't Cry, Daddy is Sorry 60 Tyler Johnson Ellis 61K United States Bound to the Rebel Wolf 61 Giulia Mantovani 58K Colombia Apártense, Llegó el Magnate 62 Kasey Esser 56K United States Fated to My Forbidden Alpha 63 Rebecca Stoughton 54K United States The Virgin and the Billionaire 64 Haley Lohrli 53K United States Miss You After Goodbye 65 Angelina Gushchyna 52K Ukraine Wicked Game 66 Andrei Prunila 52K Romania / United States My Secret Agent Husband 67 Karine Lima 51K France Roi Gandolfi 68 Shayne Davis 50K United States Shh... We're a Secret 69 Anastasia Ivaniuk 50K Ukraine Love Captive of the Mafia Boss 70 Kirby Ellwood 50K United States Final Call for Love 71 Connor Tuohy 50K United States The Call Boy I Met in Paris 72 Fabián Robles 49K Mexico El Zorro Plateado 73 Alexandra Soroka 46K Ukraine Vyklyk 74 Rebeca Herrera 46K Venezuela / Mexico Christmas Together (Lifetime) 75 Christopher Quartuccio 42K United States The Quarterback Next Door 76 Kyra Wisely 41K United States The Forbidden Alpha 77 Sam Lyam 40K France Relation dangereuse avec une femme fatale 78 Drew Ater 40K United States Money, Guns, and a Merry Christmas 79 Emily Gateley 39K United States You've Got Male 80 Michael Vaccaro 39K United States The Billionaire's Matchmaker 81 Molly Anderson 38K United States Falling for a Superstar 2 82 Michael Naizu 38K United States My Secret Agent Husband 83 Ashley Ahlquist 37K United States Pucked and Pregnant 84 Axelle René 36K France (Martinique) L'île entre nous 85 Alexa Reddy 36K United States Models vs. Werewolves 86 Ashley Michelle Grant 35K United States Falling for a Superstar 2 87 Ashley Davidson 34K United States Not The Bride He Wanted 88 Francis Rodríguez 32K Cuba / United States Christmas Together (Lifetime) 89 Mark Vega 31K United States Yes, Mr. Knight 90 Cayla Brady 30K United States The Quarterback Next Door 91 Maya Jenson 30K United States True Heiress vs. Fake Queen Bee 92 Daniela Couso 29K United States True Heiress vs. Fake Queen Bee 93 Jared Staub 29K United States Hating and Loving My Adopted Brother 94 Monique Parent 28K United States American duanju 95 Anurag Vyas 27K India Billionaire Bana Fake Boyfriend 96 Aaron Oberst 26K United States Her Double, His Trouble 97 Erin Orcutt 25K United States Unwanted True Mate 98 Katelyn Rose 25K United States My X-Ray Vision Sees Right Through You 99 Ashley BeLoat 25K United States Love Me Again Mama 100 Pavlo Tekuchev 24K Ukraine My Blind Husband Is a Billionaire 101 Adam Daniel 24K United States Move Aside I'm the Final Boss 102 Laurent Artufel 23K France Roi Gandolfi 103 Magali Semetys 22K France Ambre 104 Michael McMillian 22K United States American Sniper: The Kid of Guns 105 Samantha Drews 20K United States My Sister Is the Warlord Queen 106 Taylor Miller 20K United States American duanju 107 Daniel Jongma 19K Australia / Canada Accelerating Love 108 Sasha Anika 19K Ukraine A Queen for the Mafia Kings 109 Nate Flores 18K United States Bound to the Rebel Wolf 110 Renaud Leymans 18K France Roi Gandolfi 111 Aderonke Onuoha 18K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 112 Peyton Tucker 17K United States Hello, Let's Get Married 113 Vanessa Von Schwarz 17K United States Your Husband is Mine 114 Josh Welles 17K United States The Lost Quarterback Returns 115 Eli Jane 16K United States The Lost Prima Ballerina 116 Sophia Delucchi 15K United States How to Train an Alpha 117 Christophe Héraut 15K France Ambre 118 Cosette Hatch 15K United States True Heiress vs. Fake Queen Bee 119 Cyril Etesse 14K France Roi Gandolfi 120 Zachary Rist 14K United States You Are My Destiny 121 Talia Wynzel 13K Canada My Boss Is My Secret Sperm Donor 122 Kelsey Susino Taylor 11K United States Final Call for Love 123 Tyler Scherer 11K United States Did You Have to Be a Hockey Star? 124 Lexi Angel 11K United States His Dumped Wife is a Queen 125 Andrew Tong 11K United States The Prince's First Love 126 Jean-Pierre Castaldi 9.9K France Roi Gandolfi 127 Eloise Gordon 9.4K United States My Sexy Mentor Seduced Me 128 Tate Doppler 9.4K United States Swapped My Ex For His Billionaire Uncle 129 Kaitlin Sanders 9.1K United States My Miracle Luna 130 Jay Charles Ujomu 8.5K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 131 Liu Lanbo (刘兰博) 8.1K China Chinese duanju 132 Brittany Pirozzoli 7.9K United States To Be by My Side 133 Pierre Longer 7.8K France The Year in His Chains 134 Robbie Silverman 7.6K United States Step Aside, I'm the King of Capital 135 Jiang Shiqi (姜十七) 7.5K China 恶女的告白 136 Valeria Fokina 6.6K Ukraine My Blind Husband Is a Billionaire 137 Ana Capella 6.1K France Ambre 138 Teig Sadhana 6.1K Australia / United Kingdom Come Back for You 139 Blessing Oreva Uzero 5.8K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 140 Mike Kelson 5.4K United Kingdom The Mafia's Obsession 141 Omobola Akinde 5.4K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 142 Juliet Chevelle 5.3K United States The Reckoning Takes Flight 143 Cole Gerdes 5.2K United States Stop That Homeless Man Is an American Hero 144 Jean-Louis Barcelona 5.1K France Les aventures avec ma voisine 145 Violet Bennett 4.7K United States Secret Strangers in Love 146 Anaïs Petit 4.4K France La minute des Frangins 147 Chloé Borivage 4.4K France La minute des Frangins 148 Anina Net 4.2K United States Pregnant with My Infertile Alpha King 149 Stella Chima 4.2K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 150 Coco Taylor 3.8K United Kingdom Pride and Prejudice 151 Michel La Rosa 3.1K France Les aventures avec ma voisine / Roi Gandolfi 152 Julia Mason 3.1K United States E4 Mafia 153 Abby Semenick 3.0K United States Find Your Way Back To Me, My Childhood Sweetheart 154 Victor Achor 2.9K Nigeria Billion Naira Bride 155 Raphaël Forté (Barbebarian) 2.8K France Roi Gandolfi / Les aventures avec ma voisine 156 Alexandre Thibault 2.5K France Roi Gandolfi 157 Guillaume Sanjorge 2.3K France Les aventures avec ma voisine / Ambre / La minute des Frangins 158 Arturo Zuñiga Vega 1.8K Mexico El Zorro Plateado 159 Lana Sfera 1.3K France Les aventures avec ma voisine 160 François Viette 1.3K France Roi Gandolfi 161 Abigail Stanton 1.3K Australia Love in the Shadows 162 Katherine Gibson 1.1K United States Blood & Silver: Rise of the Alpha's Rejected Mate 163 Claudia Notte 1.0K France Roi Gandolfi / La minute des Frangins 164 Laurent Spielvogel 926 France Roi Gandolfi 165 Philippe Duquesne 903 France Roi Gandolfi 166 Zoé Pinelli 729 France Le Magasin 167 Kaylin Upton 717 Canada I Had A Baby Without You 168 Stéphane Martinet 360 France Roi Gandolfi / Les aventures avec ma voisine 169 Nicolas Tacussel 341 France Roi Gandolfi 170 Sylvain Binetti 320 France Les aventures avec ma voisine / La minute des Frangins

Founded in 1985, MIPCOM (Marché International des Programmes de Communication) is one of the world's leading markets dedicated to audiovisual content. Held annually at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, it brings together companies that finance, produce, distribute, and broadcast television and streaming programs. The 2025 edition brought together more than 10,600 participants, including 3,300 buyers from 107 countries, as well as 350 exhibitors. The show hosts major studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, and independent producers, who negotiate broadcasting rights, catalogue acquisitions, co-productions, and international distribution agreements. Over the years, MIPCOM has kept pace with the evolution of the audiovisual sector. Initially focused on television channels, it has gradually expanded to include streaming platforms, digital creators, artificial intelligence, and new distribution models. The 2026 edition continues this evolution with new spaces dedicated to AI, the Creator Economy, and, for the first time, duanju (micro-dramas) and vertical content. This new program will showcase several leaders in the duanju and vertical content industry. Announced speakers include Scott Brown, CEO of Second Rodeo Productions; Stephen Liu, CFO of NetShort; Jay Blumenfield, CEO of Jay & Tony Show Productions; Vivian Yin, founder and CEO of Y+X Entertainment; Guy Hameiri, co-founder and CEO of RoseBerry Media; Lior Friedman, co-founder of RoseBerry; Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise; and Anatolii Kasianov, co-founder and co-CEO of Holywater Tech. The program will also include a Global Microdrama & Vertical Leaders' Summit, Vertical Content Speed Matchmaking sessions designed to facilitate connections between buyers, platforms, producers, and distributors, as well as several conferences dedicated to the evolution of vertical content. For professionals, MIPCOM remains first and foremost a business market. This concentration of decision-makers makes it an indicator of developments in the global audiovisual content market. The inclusion of the duanju format in the official programming marks a significant milestone. After experiencing rapid growth in China and then in several international markets, vertical series are now finding their place at a landmark event in the audiovisual industry. This presence will allow producers, platforms, distributors, and investors to compare their models, identify new partners, and assess the development prospects of duanju on an international scale. Officially accredited as a media outlet, Duanju News will be present at MIPCOM Cannes 2026 to cover the event.

Over 70% of the top twenty series fall under the category of contemporary romance, with a strong presence of billionaires, CEOs, arranged marriages, revenge, and hidden identities. Werewolf and fantasy stories constitute the main alternative genre, while series aimed at a male audience remain very much in the minority. On DramaWave, Offside: My Fake Marriage with the Soccer Superstar , directed by Thomas Pallier, a French director active in English-language vertical productions, stars Tess Dinerstein and Jared Staub in the two lead roles. The billionaire is portrayed as a soccer star. The plot revolves around a fake marriage that gradually evolves into a real relationship, a narrative structure particularly popular in duanju. The popularity of romances centered on the wealthy is also evident in The Billionaire's Backup Bride , which reunites Ihor Zaitsev, credited as creative director , and Liulia Zakharchuk, credited as screenwriter. Both have collaborated on several English-language vertical productions filmed in Eastern Europe, a region that now hosts a significant portion of productions destined for international duanju platforms. The story employs classic tropes of arranged marriage, romantic misunderstandings, and disparities in social status. Fantasy genres follow the same logic of adaptation. Rejecting My Lycan Mate reunites Ihor Zaitsev and Liulia Zakharchuk, this time with a romance transposed into a werewolf universe. Fantasy allows for a renewal of narrative conventions while retaining the emotional appeal that currently dominates the market. The ranking also shows that advertising investment alone does not explain a series' performance. Some productions achieve a larger audience despite a lower volume of advertising, indicating that other factors, such as the ability of the first episodes to retain viewers, platform recommendations, or word-of-mouth, can also influence their distribution. #SocialPeta

Date of ranking: 16/07/2026 Among these applications, we highlight those that offer series in Duanju format. Rank Application Downloads Duanju 1 Netflix 1Md+ No 2 Disney+ 500M+ No 3 Amazon Prime Video 500M+ No 4 JioHotstar 500M+ No 5 Max 100M+ No 6 Paramount+ 100M+ No 7 Crunchyroll 100M+ No 8 iQIYI 100M+ No 9 WeTV / Tencent Video 100M+ No 10 Sony LIV 100M+ No 11 ZEE5 100M+ No 12 DramaBox 100M+ Yes 13 ReelShort 100M+ Yes 14 FreeReels 100M+ Yes 15 ShortMax 100M+ Yes 16 Viu 100M+ No 17 MX Player 1Md+ No 18 DramaWave 50M+ Yes 19 NetShort 50M+ Yes 20 GoodShort 50M+ Yes 21 Story TV 50M+ Yes 22 RapidTV 50M+ Yes 23 Melolo 50M+ Yes 24 ABEMA 50M+ No 25 Viki 50M+ No 26 StardustTV 10M+ Yes 27 FlickReels 10M+ Yes 28 MoboReels 10M+ Yes 29 Kalos TV 10M+ Yes 30 Playlet 10M+ Yes 31 Rakuten TV 10M+ No 32 FlareFlow 10M+ Yes 33 Micro Drama 10M+ Yes 34 Wavve 10M+ No 35 U-NEXT 10M+ No 36 MUBI 5M+ No 37 Canal+ 5M+ No 38 My Drama 5M+ Yes 39 VibeShort 5M+ Yes 40 DreameShort 5M+ Yes

The Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA), which annually recognize the best audiovisual productions in the Asia-Pacific region, have announced the creation of a "Best Micro-Drama" category starting with their 2026 edition. The Asian Academy Creative Awards are headed by Fiona McKay, Chief Executive Officer, alongside Michael McKay, founder of the organization and a key figure in the Awards' history. For the Academy, the format, consisting of episodes of 30 seconds to five minutes, is experiencing rapid growth driven by the development of vertical platforms and new mobile uses. The award will be presented at the Asian Academy Creative Awards ceremony on December 3, 2026, in Singapore. The category is supported by RisingJoy, a company specializing in the distribution of vertical micro-dramas, which will also host a panel dedicated to the sector at the National Winners Conference. Among the jury members is French producer Guillaume Sanjorge. The decision to add this new category stems from several years of observing market trends. It considers that micro-drama is now a fully-fledged narrative format, sufficiently developed to deserve an award on par with classic television and digital productions, such as drama series, feature films, or documentaries. Productions can be submitted in several artistic and technical categories, such as acting, directing, editing, or cinematography, with criteria adapted to the format. For micro-drama series, applicants will generally need to submit ten consecutive episodes to allow the jury to evaluate the work as a whole. Eligible works must have been broadcast between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Registration will remain open until August 1, 2026.