Chinese short dramas are stepping up to the international stage
On March 21, Chinese Internet company ByteDance's overseas entertainment brand Fizzo launched its paid short drama app, PikoShow, initiating paid advertising campaigns. Unlike Melolo, which operates on a freemium model and targets Southeast Asian markets, PikoShow adopts a clear pay-per-view model, featuring a strategy of free initial episodes followed by paid single-episode purchases. The app focuses on emotional themes such as romance, marriage, and family, aligning closely with the preferences and payment habits of Japanese users.
The Japanese market for vertical short dramas is currently experiencing significant growth potential. According to recent market research forecasts, the Japanese short drama market is expected to reach USD 1 billion (CNY 7.26 billion) by 2026, potentially becoming the world's second-largest revenue market after the United States. Data from Data Eye indicates that from August 2023 to June 2024, the Japanese short drama market generated USD 13.22 million in revenue, with over 3.2 million downloads and an average revenue per download (ARPD) of USD 4.13.
In contrast to Melolo, which was launched in Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines in mid-November 2024, targeting user growth and traffic scale, PikoShow's pay-per-view model in the Japanese market is clearly aimed at monetization. ByteDance hopes to form a direct commercial closed loop through paid content, providing financial and data support for its subsequent overseas short-form drama strategy.
ByteDance's strategic move into the Japanese market reflects its confidence in the willingness of Japanese users to pay and the maturity of the market. The company aims to capitalize on the significant growth potential of the Japanese short drama market, indicating substantial room for expansion.
