UK leads European microdrama market, says Omdia
May 29, 2026 12.10 Europe/London By Julian Clover


The UK has become Europe’s leading microdrama market, reaching 8.2 million monthly active users in 2025, according to new analysis from Omdia.

The figures were presented by Maria Rua Aguete, Omdia’s Head of Media and Entertainment, at the Conecta event in Mallorca.

Omdia says microdramas are expanding rapidly beyond China and becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of mobile entertainment.

The United States remains the largest market outside China, with 66 million monthly active users in 2025. India, Brazil and Mexico also significantly outpace Europe, underlining the global appeal of the format.

Within Europe, the UK is ahead of Germany, which reached 4.4 million monthly active users in 2025.

“Microdramas are becoming a major force in mobile entertainment,” said Rua Aguete. “What we are seeing is not simply a new content format but a new viewing behaviour.”

Omdia estimates global microdrama revenues reached $11 billion (€10.1 billion) in 2025 and will exceed $14 billion (€12.9 billion) in 2026. By 2030, the market is forecast to surpass $22 billion (€20.3 billion), with international markets accounting for almost one-third of revenues.

Spain is not yet among the largest markets, but Omdia says it is emerging as an important production centre as demand grows for Spanish-language content.

Rua Aguete said microdramas should be understood as “a format, not a genre”, with early success built around romance but new categories now emerging, including thrillers, crime, comedy, fantasy, family entertainment and reality.

Spanish broadcasters including RTVE and Atresmedia are already exploring microdrama productions as part of efforts to reach mobile-first audiences.