DUANJU  NEWS

By 2025, the global market for duanju reached $11 billion in revenue, with over $9 billion generated in China. In just a few years, this format, which originated on smartphones, has become one of the most dynamic segments of the global audiovisual industry. In China, the sector's largest market, revenues increased from 37.39 billion yuan in 2023 (approximately $5.15 billion) to 50.44 billion yuan in 2024 (approximately $6.95 billion). It was in 2024 that the sector surpassed the Chinese box office for traditional cinema for the first time. Growth isn't measured solely by revenue. By the end of 2024, duanju had approximately 662 million users in China, representing nearly 60% of the country's internet users. The sector is also estimated to have contributed to the creation of over 647,000 direct and indirect jobs. This trend now extends far beyond China's borders. Platforms like DramaBox, ReelShort, ShortMax, and GoodShort are expanding their operations in North America, Europe, and several emerging markets. They are investing in local productions while maintaining the narrative elements that have made the format successful. Primarily funded by subscriptions and in-app purchases, more than 60% of the sector's global revenue now comes from these payment models. According to Omdia, the global market could reach $14 billion by 2026, with nearly $3 billion of that outside of China. This growth illustrates the accelerating adoption of the format internationally, while duanju have already become a major sector of digital entertainment in China.

France operates one of the world's most interventionist audiovisual funding systems. Through the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), part of the revenue generated by broadcasters is reinvested into content creation. Often presented as a pillar of the French cultural exception, this model has long supported film and television. But adapting it to the digital economy remains an open challenge. It is in this context that the suspension of the CNC Talent program has reignited debate over the place of web-native creation within French cultural policy. Beyond the domestic controversy, the issue raises a question relevant to the global audiovisual industry: how should creation be funded in an era of global platforms and mobile-first consumption? The CNC Talent program sought to apply the French model of support for creative works to the web. But unlike cinema, digital platforms are not dedicated to fiction, documentaries, or animation. They combine audiovisual works with news content, entertainment, influencer content, educational material, and services. This hybrid nature makes it more difficult to apply a funding model that was originally designed to support clearly identified cultural works. At the same time, the duanju, or microdrama, market is growing rapidly. In China, these short-form series designed for smartphone viewing have reached an industrial scale. During the Grand Debate at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival in September 2025, CNC President Gaëtan Bruel noted that the Chinese microdrama market had surpassed the country's box office revenues. On that occasion, he also stressed the importance of "following and understanding these trends," while describing microdramas as a "perfect counterexample" to the vision of creation traditionally promoted by the CNC. A few months later, during the 2026 Creation Day event, he referred to "highly standardized content" driven by "addictive mechanisms." This criticism of addiction nevertheless raises a question of consistency: where should the line be drawn between a cultural work and an engagement-driven product? The CNC already funds the video game industry, a sector where user retention, progression, and loyalty mechanisms often play a central role. It is also worth noting that the duanju format relies on a fiction-driven business model that is far more structured than those of many digital platforms and social networks. Companies such as ReelShort and DramaBox control the entire value chain, from production and distribution to monetization, within closed applications designed specifically for serialized content. The debate over how to fund digital creation was reignited in early June by Justine Ryst, Managing Director of YouTube France. During a hearing before the French Senate, she noted that the Video Services Tax generates more than €44 million per year, while only €3 million was allocated to CNC Talent. She also called for a reform of the program. France has already integrated streaming platforms into its audiovisual funding system. Since the SMAD decree came into force in 2021, platforms such as Netflix and Disney+ have been required to invest a portion of their revenue generated in France in French and European productions. If this regulatory approach is carried through to its logical conclusion, duanju could eventually enter the scope of policymakers' discussions as well. Even if the format does not currently align with the CNC's stated priorities, its international growth and increasingly structured business model may make the issue harder and harder to ignore. Article written by Guillaume Sanjorge #GuillaumeSanjorge

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.

The international expansion of duanju is also beginning to raise new issues surrounding distribution rights. Several series originally released on official platforms now appear to be republished on third-party websites without clear attribution or any identifiable licensing agreement. This is notably the case for the French series Les aventures avec ma voisine, also distributed under its English title Next Door Adventure. Produced by Sanjorge Production, the series was recently found on the platform Shortflix without any known authorization from the production company. According to information obtained by Duanju News, Stardust TV has reportedly confirmed its intention to initiate legal proceedings against Shortflix. Other platforms also appear to be affected by the situation, as their catalogs are referenced on the platform, including FlickReels, ReelShort, DramaShorts, CandyJar, NetShort, ShortTV, DramaTV, MinuteDrama and FlexTV. Unlike simple indexing websites, Shortflix directly monetizes the series available on its platform, using a model similar to that of official microdrama applications. This situation comes at a time when some creators are already facing automated copyright claims on official platforms. As a result, identifying rights holders within the international duanju ecosystem could become a significant issue for the industry. With the global rise of the vertical format, the protection of creative works, licensing rights, and the unauthorized circulation of content could quickly become a major challenge for the duanju industry.

Ranking of YouTube Channels Offering Duanju (also known as Micro Drama) Based on Subscriber Count, as of May 12, 2026. By clicking on the channel name below, you can access it directly. Rank Name YouTube Subscribers 1 DramaBox 14,2M 2 ReelShort 13,7M 3 DramaWave 5,3M 4 NetShort 5,08M 5 GoodShort 1,72M 6 My Drama 1,29M 7 StardustTV 885K 8 Drama Bites 665K 9 ShortMax 632K 10 PineDrama 563K 11 SnackShort 535K 12 MoboReels Shorts 530K 13 Story TV 508K 14 KALOS TV 470K 15 Vigloo 402K 16 HoneyReels 294K 17 DramaPops 190K 18 ZeroShort 157K 19 Best Short Series Collection 152K 20 SHRT - Short Drama & Movies 148K 21 Drama flow 133K 22 Cool Drama 130K 23 JoyReels 128K 24 LoveShots 125K 25 ShortsWave Official 122K 26 DomiReel 106K 27 SaltyTV 102K An omission? Contact our editorial team: studio-phoceen@hotmail.fr

Harlequin, one of the world's largest romance publishers and a subsidiary of HarperCollins, will adapt 40 of its stories into duanju series as part of an agreement signed with Dashverse. The productions will be broadcast on DashReels, a platform specializing in vertical mobile series. The partnership envisions animated adaptations from the Harlequin catalog, built over decades around popular romance. The publisher boasts a massive library of titles already familiar to an international audience, with characters, worlds, and narrative conventions easily adaptable to the short-form mobile format. The stories will be divided into short, vertical episodes, following the model popularized by DramaBox, ReelShort, and ShortMax. Dashverse, for its part, is leveraging Frameo, its AI-powered production tool, to accelerate episode production and content distribution. The agreement directly connects a major intellectual property holder with a specialized vertical distribution platform. The industrial appeal of the partnership lies primarily in Harlequin's scale. The company has been publishing romance novels worldwide for over 75 years and already possesses a catalog structured for serialization. The duanju model allows existing novels to be transformed into ongoing mobile content without starting from scratch in terms of editorial development. The convergence between traditional publishing and vertical drama platforms is becoming increasingly visible. Catalogue owners are now seeking formats capable of quickly producing high-volume mobile adaptations. Sources: • Harlequin – March 30, 2026 • Publishers Weekly – March 30, 2026 • C21Media – March 31, 2026

The screening of the series King Gandolfi took place on May 7, 2026, in Toulon at the Chalucet Media Library, as part of the MEDSERIES Club. Organized by Quattrocento in partnership with the City of Toulon, the event offered an immersion into several formats of contemporary serialized storytelling on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival. Presented as the opening screening, King Gandolfi is an offbeat medieval comedy series following a King confronted with trials involving mystery, honor, and power. Between a sacred medallion, betrayals, and unexplained disappearances, each situation contributes to building the legend of a ruler as unpredictable as he is unsuited to his own role. Filmed in the south of France, the series makes use of numerous natural and historical locations, including the Roquefavour Aqueduct in Ventabren, the Château de Tarascon, Daudet’s Mill in Fontvieille, the calanques of Marseille, the Mill of Régusse, and the Saracen tower of Cournonterral. Created by Guillaume Sanjorge, the series features Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Marthe Villalonga, Laurent Artufel, Anthony Joubert, Michel La Rosa, Stéphane Martinet, Sébastien Bugeja, Cyril Etesse, François Viette, Rémi Barrero, Nicolas Tacussel, Roger Nicolas, Jordan Deluxe, Karine Lima, Claudia Notte, Alexandre Thibault, Aurèle Barbieri, Sami Bentayeb, Gérald Michiara, and Raphael Forte. Designed for mobile viewing with short episodes, King Gandolfi was presented as a work adapted to the Duanju format, a model of vertical mini-series particularly popular in China. The screening highlighted how the South of France region is currently experimenting with new hybrid audiovisual formats combining digital distribution and theatrical experience. The MEDSERIES Club program continued with Buddy Bob, a mini-series written and directed by Anne Loriot, followed by Paoliwood, a series recounting the ambitious attempt to introduce Pascal Paoli to Mel Gibson. Together, the screenings offered more than two hours of programming blending humor, intimate storytelling, and projects deeply rooted in Mediterranean cultures. Guillaume Sanjorge and Michel La Rosa at MEDSERIES How MEDSERIES discovered the Duanju format Even before watching King Gandolfi among the projects submitted to the MEDSERIES Club, one of the festival organizers recalls hearing about these Chinese mini-series for the first time in a context completely unrelated to the professional Duanju industry. During a casual conversation, someone described these short-form series watched on smartphones during daily commutes. A few hours later, upon discovering King Gandolfi among the selected works, he realized that the series perfectly matched this rapidly emerging narrative format.

Jen Cooper, a key figure in Duanju in England and founder of Vertical Drama Love, organized a physical awards ceremony in Los Angeles dedicated to the format: the Vertical Drama Love Fan Awards. The event took place on April 23, 2026, at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, a venue with a capacity of 350 people, bringing together creators, actors, platforms, and audiences around vertical productions. The ceremony relies on an international fan voting system, with participation from over 100 countries, and a selection focused on content actually viewed on the apps. Among the talents showcased were Eric Guilmette, Noah Fearnley, Sam Myerson, Nicole Mattox, Mariah Moss, and Seth Edeen, all from the American microdrama ecosystem. Holding a physical event in Hollywood marks a significant milestone. Duanju series are gaining public recognition, adopting codes similar to those of the audiovisual industry: ceremonies, awards, and increased visibility for talent. The awards ceremony extends distribution and enhances the value of certain productions. The duanju format is thus beginning to organize itself in the United States with its own dedicated events, supported by recognizable creators and actors, within a developing Western market.

In the ecosystem of the new "Duanju" format, certain trajectories are as important as the series themselves. Magali Semetys is one of those French actresses whose experience lends credibility to a script still under construction. Accustomed to the rhythms of television and the demands of cinema, she applies her expertise to a shorter, more direct, vertical narrative, where the performance must be immediately clear, and where every intention, every glance, every silence becomes a catalyst. Magali Semetys built her career in a style familiar to French audiences, with popular long-running series and regular television appearances, allowing her to firmly establish a character in viewers' daily lives. This experience becomes a particular asset when the narrative becomes more concise and everything has to unfold more quickly. Cinema, for its part, has taught her a different kind of depth: how to bring a role to life over the course of a film, with a different kind of precision, one that is specifically designed for the big screen. In 2024 and 2025, Magali Semetys attended the first two public screenings organized by the Studio Phocéen association in Paris, which presented this format for the first time in France, on November 23, 2024 , and June 14, 2025. Her presence at these two events contributed to raising the profile of a format that was still new to French audiences. Currently, Magali Semetys is involved in two series using the Duanju format. In Militiamen , she plays a police inspector tasked with interrogating the main characters: a tense and confrontational role designed to quickly bring contradictions to the surface, push the characters to reveal themselves, and drive the plot forward under pressure. Watch the series: Link In Amber , she plays the sister of a man haunted by the disappearance of the woman he loved. More ambiguous, more introspective, this character holds certain information about the disappearance and nurtures the idea of an incomplete truth. Watch the series: Link Two different styles, but the same narrative function: to be a turning point, the one that forces the protagonists to take a stand and propels the story forward. To learn more about Magali Semetys, listen to the podcast interview by Maëlle Billant, where she discusses her career.

France Télévisions is the main public broadcasting group in France. It operates several national channels and a free streaming platform, france.tv, which is primarily funded by public money. In addition, the group has a network dedicated to its overseas territories, called " La 1ère ," which produces and broadcasts local content in Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific. The group is introducing two short, serialized series, specially designed to be broadcast directly on its platforms and social networks. The first is powered by Slash, a platform dedicated to 18-30 year olds. The videos are short, with a sequential narrative and regular releases. The series "P*tain de soirée" (Damn Party) is co-written and performed by Roman Doduik, in collaboration with editorial teams within France Télévisions. Distribution relies on Slash's social media accounts and those of the creator, with direct distribution on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. The second initiative is led by the Overseas Territories division of La 1ère. The series "L'île entre nous" (The Island Between Us) is produced in Guadeloupe and tells a romantic story between characters deeply rooted in the local community. Talents such as Axelle René and Gilles Saint-Louis are involved in its creation and production. The series is broadcast on Guadeloupe La 1ère's social media channels, with short episodes released sequentially, optimized for mobile viewing. During a presentation at the Media Club International on March 5, 2026, James Labbé, deputy director of content responsible for TV channels at the Overseas division of France Télévisions, explained that this project was initially launched independently before being fully integrated, due to its success. The content is accessible directly online, without going through linear broadcasting, with circulation ensured by platforms and social networks. Article written by Guillaume Sanjorge #GuillaumeSanjorge