State of Short Drama Apps 2025

In Q1 2025, global in-app revenue from short drama apps reached approximately USD $700 million, nearly 4x higher than in Q1 2024. Early movers like ReelShort and DramaBox continued to lead the market, while a wave of rising players launched in the second half of 2024 – including DramaWave, NetShort and FlickReels – experienced rapid growth.

This report deep dives into the latest trends in the global expansion of short drama apps and the performance of top players, with a case study on emerging breakout app, DramaWave. The case study explores the strategies and tactics behind DramaWave's successful entry into international markets.

Note: Sensor Tower's revenue data is based on in-app purchase (IAP) estimates from App Store and Google Play, excluding ad monetisation, revenue from third-party Android stores or direct payments made via official brand websites or other alternative payment channels.

Global Cumulative In-App Revenue from Short Drama Apps Approaches $2.3 Billion

Since the start of 2024, in-app revenue from short drama apps has grown rapidly – rising from USD $178 million in Q1 2024 to nearly USD $700 million in Q1 2025, expanding the market by almost 4x. As of March 2025, global cumulative in-app revenue from short drama apps reaches approximately USD $2.3 billion.

Downloads of short drama apps have grown rapidly, with global downloads exceeding 370 million in Q1 2025, representing a 6.2x increase year-on-year. As of March 2025, cumulative global downloads have reached nearly 950 million.

The U.S. remains the top revenue-generating market, while LATAM, SEA and India stand out for their exceptional download growth among emerging markets

In Q1 2025, in-app revenue from short drama apps in the U.S. grew 20% quarter-on-quarter, reaching nearly USD $350 million. The U.S. accounted for 49% of total global revenue in Q1 2025, making it a key battleground for short drama apps and one of the most competitive markets worldwide.

With large mobile user bases and growing demand for mobile entertainment, regions such as Latin America, Southeast Asia and India have become key growth markets for new short drama players. In Q1 2025, short drama app downloads in Latin America grew 69% quarter-on-quarter, reaching nearly 100 million downloads (excluding third-party Android stores). DramaWave saw an explosive 27x increase in downloads in the region, overtaking long-established leaders to become the #1 most-downloaded app. This market is also fueling strong growth for other rising short drama apps like RapidTV, MeloShort, FlickReels and Swift Drama.

The Southeast Asia market experienced strong momentum in Q1 2025, with short drama app downloads rising 61% quarter-on-quarter to nearly 87 million downloads (excluding third-party Android stores). DramaWave, FreeReels and Melolo saw explosive growth in the region, with downloads increasing by 16x, 11x and 21x respectively – ranking #2, #4, and #6 on the short drama app download chart in Southeast Asia.

ReelShort and DramaBox Lead the Market, While Newcomers Like DramaWave Rise Rapidly

In Q1 2025, ReelShort and DramaBox saw in-app revenues grow by 31% and 29% respectively, reaching USD $130 million and USD $120 million. The two apps secured the #1 and #2 spots on both the global revenue and revenue growth charts for overseas short drama apps. As of March 2025, ReelShort and DramaBox have generated USD $490 million and USD $450 million in cumulative global in-app revenue, respectively.

Several short drama apps launched in the second half of 2024 – including NetShort, DramaWave and FlickReels – recorded impressive revenue growth and successfully entered the top 10 revenue rankings for overseas markets.

In March 2025, NetShort launched several viral short dramas such as "Evil Bride vs CEO’s Secret Mom", propelling the app into a phase of accelerated growth. In Q1 2025, its in-app revenue grew 171% quarter-on-quarter, securing the #5 spot in overseas short drama app revenue rankings. According to Sensor Tower's data, since its launch in July 2024, NetShort has shown consistent growth in both revenue and downloads – with cumulative revenue exceeding USD $57 million as of April 2025.

FlickReels posted a 375% quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue in Q1 2025, earning it the #7 spot on the overseas short drama app revenue rankings. The app performed especially well in the U.S. market. Following the release of the hit series "The Reunion of Genius Baby", FlickReels climbed to #3 on the U.S. iOS overall download chart on March 8, and held the #2 spot consistently from March 9 to 11.

DramaWave rapidly broke through in Southeast Asia and Latin America, with downloads in Q1 2025 soaring more than 10x quarter-on-quarter. The app climbed to #2 on the overseas short drama app download chart, and ranked as the #1 fastest-growing short drama app by downloads for the quarter.

Emerging short drama apps such as Kuku TV, RapidTV, NetShort, FlickReels, FreeReels, MeloShort and StardustTV recorded significant download growth in Q1 2025, standing out in a market still dominated by top-tier players.

DramaWave’s Downloads Soar Over 10x in Q1 2025

In September 2024, SKYWORK AI officially launched its short drama app "DramaWave" in international markets. With its diverse themes, dramatic storylines, high-definition streaming, multilingual subtitles and frequent content updates, the app quickly gained traction – earning an impressive 4.9-star average rating on the U.S. App Store.

In early February, the launch of hit short dramas like "Married My Sister’s Fiancé" quickly ignited market demand, propelling DramaWave into a phase of accelerated download growth. According to Sensor Tower App Performance Insights, DramaWave’s global downloads surged over 10x quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2025. By the end of April 2025, the app reached 53 million cumulative downloads and USD $47 million in in-app revenue worldwide.

In its early growth phase, DramaWave strategically targeted emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, which together accounted for 72% of the app’s total downloads. These regions also have higher Android device penetration, resulting in Android accounting for 86% of DramaWave’s total downloads. Fueled by rapid growth in these markets, DramaWave’s monthly active user base expanded significantly – climbing to the #2 spot globally in April 2025, just behind DramaBox.

DramaWave Rises Rapidly Through Localised Advertising and TikTok-Led Social Media Strategy

Paid advertising has been a key driver of DramaWave’s user acquisition, accounting for over 80% of downloads between September and December 2024. Unity served as DramaWave’s primary in-app advertising platform, powering the majority of its paid user acquisition during this period.

Beyond paid advertising, social media has also played a critical role in DramaWave’s rapid rise. In the U.S. market, DramaWave’s advertising audience is 483% more likely to be active social media users compared to the general population. TikTok has emerged as DramaWave’s most important social platform. Its official account, @dramawaveapp, has 1.7 million followers, ranking second behind ReelShort’s 1.8 million followers. In addition, DramaWave’s ad audience in the U.S. sees 200% higher exposure on TikTok compared to average users – underscoring the platform’s impact on the app’s visibility and growth.

DramaWave provides localised subtitle translations across different markets and applies the same localisation strategy in its top-performing ad creatives – allowing the app to rapidly broaden its global audience reach.

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