Microdrama Boom Goes Global as AR, Liu Yi Media, Playlet and COL Take Center Stage at Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)

AR is presenting an extensive selection of microdramas from China and beyond at the ongoing Mipcom market.

The company operates across the $7 billion Chinese and $4 billion international short-form content sectors, with a library of 1,000 titles spanning eight studios and five apps. Its top 100 programs have generated more than 10 billion views worldwide.

At Mipcom, AR is showcasing new and popular series from Liu Yi Media, Playlet and COL, three of the most active studios in the sector.

Liu Yi Media, founded in 2022 by author Mo Jian Shao Ye, produces over 20 original short dramas a month and holds a library exceeding 500 titles. The company reports a hit rate of around 50%. Among the titles presented at Mipcom are “Urban Miracle Doctor,” which follows Qin Yang, a disgraced construction worker whose medical skills and resilience propel him from the margins to power, and “Dragon Mother,” where street cleaner Tang Zhenzhen discovers her mysterious lineage as a warrior queen while battling injustice. Both series reflect Liu Yi Media’s emphasis on audience-driven storytelling through its own platform, Liu Yi Short Drama.

Playlet specializes in vertical-screen microdramas across a range of genres. The studio has reported a 400% revenue increase in the APAC region in early 2024 and maintains one of the strongest performance records in the business. Featured at Mipcom are “The Mayor’s XXL Wife: Her Stunning Return,” in which Sophia, a woman once mocked for her size, reclaims her life and love after a stunning transformation, and “The Secret Heiress,” where Lily Wilson, returning from abroad, conceals her wealth and identity to expose those who betrayed her. Playlet’s partnerships with established talent are central to its global expansion strategy.

COL, a publicly listed company, develops, produces and distributes microdramas through operations in North America, China and Southeast Asia. It has incubated the platforms Reelshort, Sereal+ and Flareflow, and works in content licensing, IP development, co-production and consulting. From its Sereal+ label, COL is presenting “My L.A. Fireman,” which follows a romance born amid the chaos of a California wildfire, and “My Call Boy Billionaire Daddy,” about Ines, a woman wronged by the powerful Ward family, who returns to confront her past and rewrite her destiny. Both projects underscore COL’s aim to merge premium storytelling with scalable international formats.

Together, the companies’ participation at Mipcom highlights the rapid growth of the microdrama business as Chinese studios and platforms position short-form series for global distribution.