Microdramas continue to gain steam, and are starting to become viable competitors to major streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney: That’s the gist of new data released by Omdia this week, which found that microdrama app ReelShort clocked more than 35 minutes of mobile usage per day on average in the US in Q4 of 2025, compared to around 25 minutes for Netflix, 27 minutes for Amazon Prime Video and 23 minutes for Disney Plus.

The popularity of different microdrama services varies widely by geography, but the general trend seems to hold true for other markets as well. In the UK, FlickReels usage surpassed that of Amazon Prime Video, while (22.4 minutes vs. 21.5 minutes), while DramaBox outpaced Prime Video in Mexico (27.9 minutes vs. 23.8 minutes).

One important caveat is that these numbers are per-user averages. Look at the total user base, and the picture still looks very different. Netflix has 12 million monthly average mobile users in the US, while ReelShort only has 1.1 million such users per month (again according to Omdia, which got its numbers from SensorTower).

Still, with engagement numbers being so favorable for microdramas, one has to wonder how big of a challenge the format represents for the big streamers. I think there’s two ways to look at this:

The bull case for Netflix & co. goes a bit like this: Long-form content is still primarily being viewed on TV, and the bug streamers have little to fear from microdramas in the living room (if you’ve ever tried to watch a microdrama on TV, you know what I’m talking about).

But there’s a bear case, too. Netflix executives have long argued that they’re not just competing with Disney, Amazon (and increasingly YouTube),  but everything you could possibly spend your time on. 

If you opt to read a book instead of watching TV, Netflix loses an opportunity. The same goes for video games … which also explains why Netflix is so serious about gaming. And it’s of course also true for mobile video, be it on Instagram or ReelShort. By that logic, the growth of microdramas should worry every streaming service – and perhaps incentivize them to revisit their own mobile video plans.

For a deep dive on microdramas, check out my story from last October: Hollywood is in love with microdramas, for all the wrong reasons

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