Microdramas Boom as Hollywood Shrinks, Bringing Vertical Video to Colombia

Microdramas are experiencing a rapid boom as Hollywood's traditional film and television market contracts. These short, vertical-format series, typically lasting 45 seconds to two minutes, are designed to capture viewer curiosity with cliffhangers at the end of each episode. Filmed for smartphones, microdramas merge serialized melodrama with the viewing habits of platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Despite their modest size compared to traditional television, they have rapidly gained popularity. In the United States, about 66 million people watched microdramas each month in 2025, nearly doubling the 26 million from the previous year. Omdia projects the U.S. microdrama market to reach US$2 billion by 2025, compared to the estimated US$125 billion television market.

The format's affordability is a key factor in its growth, allowing production companies to create dozens of episodes with limited sets and smaller crews. Traditional sitcoms can cost US$2 million to US$4 million per episode, while microdramas typically range from US$100,000 to US$300,000 for a 50- to 75-episode series. Artificial intelligence is also being integrated into the production process to speed up certain tasks.

Major Hollywood studios are now exploring this format due to declining television audiences and the need to reduce costs. U.S. companies like NBCUniversal and Fox have invested in vertical drama, adapting production facilities once used for conventional projects. Colombian entrepreneurs and established television companies are also entering the microdrama market, capitalizing on Spanish-language content and a favorable production infrastructure.

Idilio, founded by Gabriela Tafur and Esteban Ramirez, is a notable local player that raised US$5 million in seed funding and has achieved over 1.5 million downloads and 300,000 monthly active users globally. The format's success in Colombia demonstrates its potential as a pillar of the country's professional audiovisual industry, attracting both investors and established studios.