One in five consumers now watches microdramas, while almost half of viewers say seeing a brand featured in one would make them more likely to buy its products, according to a new report from global agency dentsu.
The findings have been released ahead of dentsu’s appearance at MIP BrandWorks, which begins in Cannes today (October 12) as part of MIPCOM.
Dentsu surveyed 8,400 consumers across 12 markets in April 2026, with nationally representative panels of 700 respondents in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Australia, China, India, Japan and Malaysia.
The report, Bringing Brands into Focus: Film, TV and the Microdrama Boom, found that microdrama adoption is highest in China, where 35% said they watch regularly or quite often. The equivalent figure was 20% in India, 17% in Malaysia and 11% in both the UK and US.
The research underlined the format’s ability to sustain attention beyond its short individual episodes. Among microdrama viewers, 42% said sessions typically last up to an hour, while 15% watch for two to three hours and 5% for more than three hours. Gen Z and North American respondents were the most likely to report sessions exceeding two hours.
DramaBox, MyDrama and ReelShort emerged as the three most widely used dedicated platforms in the research. However, 35% of viewers said they only watch microdramas when they are available free on social media, illustrating the importance of platforms such as Instagram Reels alongside specialist apps.
For brands, dentsu’s findings suggest that microdrama audiences are relatively tolerant of commercial messages. Just 19% of those using dedicated platforms and 20% of social-media viewers said microdramas contain too many advertisements. By comparison, 40% said the same about television series on broadcast networks.
Almost half of microdrama viewers – 48% – said seeing a brand featured would make them like it more, while 49% said it would make them more likely to follow the brand on social media. Half said they would research the brand and 45% said they would be more likely to purchase its products or services.
The figures were generally strongest among millennials. 57% said an appearance in a microdrama would make them like or research a brand, while 56% would be more likely to follow it and 53% more likely to make a purchase.
Dentsu argues that the relatively low production costs and serialised structure of microdramas make them accessible to brands looking to fund original entertainment. The report cites The Golden Pear Affair, a vertical romantic adventure developed and produced by Dentsu Entertainment for P&G Studios and personal-care brand Native. Launched in February, the series integrated Native products into its story and connected viewers with shoppable product pages.
The study also examined changing cinema habits, finding that Gen Z respondents were 57% more likely than the global average to watch feature films frequently in cinemas. Their interest was particularly strong around theatrical anime releases, with horror and video game adaptations also identified as drivers of attendance.
“Gen Z has become the industry’s most important audience,” said Cathy Boxall, global head of entertainment at dentsu. “They are the most frequent moviegoers of any generation, with attendance driven in the most part by horror, anime, and video game adaptations, the trifecta of transmedia storytelling that Gen Z has been consuming across platforms since before they could drive. Brands that find the right entry points, like co-productions, IP partnerships, experiential events, creator collaborations, can ride this wave rather than watch it pass.”
Read more about branded entertainment in Issue 3 of The Drop Magazine.
