Vertical Series Offers Thai Content Growth Path to Global Markets
Thailand's government identifies vertical series—short smartphone dramas in 9:16 format—as a growth opportunity for its content industry, as the global market surges to $18 billion in 2025 with China controlling 77 percent of sales.
Thailand's Office of Trade and Strategic Policy identifies vertical series—a rapidly growing global format—as a key opportunity for the Thai content industry to expand its identity internationally. Nanthapong Jiralertsphong, director of the Office of Trade and Strategic Policy, explains that vertical series are short dramas displayed in 9:16 aspect ratio specifically for smartphones and tablets, typically 1–2 minutes per episode, with fast-paced, easy-to-follow narratives punctuated by dramatic turns to maintain viewer interest.
The format meets the needs of modern consumers with limited time who want immediate content gratification and is gaining popularity worldwide, with China dominating the market. According to a joint report by China's state broadcasting authority and private sector partners on AI-driven micro-drama innovation, the global short-drama market is worth nearly $18 billion in 2025, while China's share alone reaches $14 billion—77.78 percent of the total. Other markets combined account for $3.6 billion.
Multiple countries show strong growth trajectories: South Korea's short-drama market was valued at $490 million in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2029, while India's market is expected to hit $1.5 billion in 2026 and grow at an average rate of 31 percent annually, reaching $4.5 billion by 2029.
Usage of vertical series applications is also climbing. China's Netcasting Service Association reported that Chinese users spent an average of 2 hours daily on short-drama apps during the first eight months of 2025, up 25.9 percent from January. Leading apps in China include Hongguo Short Drama, followed by Hippo Theater and Fanhua Theater. Outside China, foreign downloads of short-drama apps exceeded 730 million in the same period, a 370.4 percent increase year-over-year.
According to SocialPeta, the most popular global apps (excluding China) are Reelshort, DramaBox, ShortMax, and GoodsShort. Platforms typically generate revenue through four models: pay-to-unlock systems where viewers access the first 10–15 episodes free then purchase digital coins for additional content; subscription memberships; advertising; and affiliate marketing that allows merchants to embed purchase links.
Thailand's vertical series market currently lacks formal valuation but shows significant regional potential, though market research firm SocialPeta notes the assessment remains incomplete for the first half of the year.
