Short drama statistics 2026
Quick answer
Across 1,952 short drama series (88,311 episodes) counted on 29 October 2026, the median episode runs 81 seconds, the median series has 43 episodes and the median series takes 63 minutes to watch in full. Episode 1 is longer: 139 seconds at the median. Of 27 short drama apps in our price index, the 19 that name a weekly plan start at a median of $15.99 a week.
Key takeaways
- 80% of episodes run between 1 and 3 minutes.
- Half of all series have 30 to 56 episodes; the longest has 499.
- 96% of series can be watched in full in under two hours.
- In 90% of series, episode 1 is longer than the series’ typical episode.
- Revenge is the most common genre tag: 48% of series.
These are original statistics about short dramas (also called vertical dramas or micro dramas), counted by BingeTube from its own catalog: every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search, 1,952 series and 88,311 episodes, counted on 29 October 2026. Lengths are each episode’s stored video length. Prices come from our short drama app price index of US App Store listings.
Everything here can be reused under CC BY 4.0. The full table is a free download as CSV or JSON.
The catalog at a glance
Counted on 29 October 2026. Running time is the sum of every episode’s video length.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Series | 1,952 |
| Episodes | 88,311 |
| Total running time | 2,142 hours |
| Fewest episodes in a series | 5 |
| Most episodes in a series | 499 |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
How long is a short drama episode?
The median episode is 81 seconds. Half of all 88,311 episodes run between 64 and 103 seconds, and 9 in 10 run 131 seconds or less.
| Episode length | Episodes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 seconds | 932 | 1.1% |
| 30–59 seconds | 15,144 | 17.1% |
| 60–89 seconds | 38,151 | 43.2% |
| 90–119 seconds | 21,122 | 23.9% |
| 2–3 minutes | 11,152 | 12.6% |
| 3 minutes or more | 1,810 | 2.0% |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
How many episodes does a short drama have?
The median series has 43 episodes; half have 30 to 56 and 9 in 10 have 65 or fewer. A few run much longer, up to 499 episodes.
| Episodes per series | Series | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 episodes | 63 | 3.2% |
| 20–29 episodes | 416 | 21.3% |
| 30–39 episodes | 325 | 16.6% |
| 40–49 episodes | 361 | 18.5% |
| 50–59 episodes | 366 | 18.8% |
| 60–79 episodes | 344 | 17.6% |
| 80–99 episodes | 46 | 2.4% |
| 100 or more episodes | 31 | 1.6% |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
How long does a whole series take to watch?
The median series runs 63 minutes from the first episode to the last. Half run 39 to 84 minutes, 82% run under 90 minutes and 96% under two hours.
| Running time | Series | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 hour | 914 | 46.8% |
| 1 to 1½ hours | 678 | 34.7% |
| 1½ to 2 hours | 274 | 14.0% |
| 2 to 3 hours | 71 | 3.6% |
| Over 3 hours | 15 | 0.8% |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
Episode 1: longer than the rest
The first episode is usually the longest stretch of set-up: the median episode 1 runs 139 seconds, against 81 seconds for episodes overall. In 1,765 of 1,952 series (90%) episode 1 is longer than that series’ median episode, and in 807 (41%) it is the longest episode of all.
The first five episodes together, which is what a free BingeTube account opens, run 9 min 16 s at the median (half between 7 min 29 s and 11 min 21 s).
| Measure | Episode 1 | All episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Median | 139 seconds | 81 seconds |
| 25th percentile | 105 seconds | 64 seconds |
| 75th percentile | 178 seconds | 103 seconds |
| 90th percentile | 223 seconds | 131 seconds |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026. Episode 1 is the episode numbered 1 in each series.
Which genres are most common?
Each series carries one or two genre tags (1,526 series have one, 426 have two), so the shares below add up to more than 100%. The last column is the median whole-series running time for that genre.
| Genre | Series | Share of series | Median running time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenge | 932 | 47.7% | 61 minutes |
| Billionaire Romance | 444 | 22.7% | 59 minutes |
| Hidden Identity | 294 | 15.1% | 71 minutes |
| Werewolf & Fantasy | 283 | 14.5% | 72 minutes |
| Mafia | 272 | 13.9% | 51 minutes |
| Family Secrets | 153 | 7.8% | 55 minutes |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
Best revenge short dramas · Best billionaire romance · Best hidden identity short dramas · Best werewolf short dramas · Best mafia short dramas · Best family secrets short dramas · Short drama tropes explained
Words that appear most in short drama titles
How many of the 1,952 series have one of these words (or its plural) in the title.
| Words in the title | Series | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mafia, Don, Donna, Godfather | 290 | 14.9% |
| King, Queen, Prince | 207 | 10.6% |
| Billionaire | 90 | 4.6% |
| Dragon | 83 | 4.3% |
| Alpha | 80 | 4.1% |
| Hidden, Secret | 79 | 4.0% |
| Reborn, Rebirth | 54 | 2.8% |
| Twins, Triplets, Baby | 48 | 2.5% |
| Werewolf, Lycan, Wolf | 47 | 2.4% |
| Heiress | 41 | 2.1% |
| Regret | 36 | 1.8% |
| Divorce | 35 | 1.8% |
1,952 series / 88,311 episodes on BingeTube (every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search), counted 29 October 2026.
What do short drama apps cost?
From our price index of 27 short drama apps (US App Store listings, checked 29 October 2026; BingeTube left out): 19 apps name a weekly plan. The median cheapest weekly plan is $15.99 and the median priciest is $19.99. 9 apps name a monthly plan, at a median of $39.99 a month. Each app’s plans and sources are in the full index.
| Measure | Value | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Median cheapest weekly plan | $15.99 | 19 |
| Median priciest weekly plan | $19.99 | 19 |
| Median monthly plan | $39.99 | 9 |
Source: BingeTube short drama app price index, doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23731114.
Methodology
Base: every published BingeTube series except titles we keep out of search on 29 October 2026: 1,952 of the series then published, 88,311 episodes, including series still being added. Titles we keep out of search are left out of every figure.
Lengths are the video length stored for each episode in our catalog. Episode figures are over all episodes; series figures over all series. Medians and percentiles (linear interpolation), not averages, so a few very long series don’t skew the picture. Genre tags are the ones each series carries in our catalog.
This page covers what is in the catalog only. It has no viewing, drop-off or audience figures. Prices are what each app lists on its US App Store page on the day checked, not what any one user paid; BingeTube’s own prices are not in the medians.
Download and reuse
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: please credit “BingeTube short drama statistics”. A link to this page is appreciated but never required.
How to cite: BingeTube (2026). Short drama statistics: catalog and first-episode data, counted 29 October 2026. https://binge.tube/short-drama-statistics. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
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Questions
How long is a short drama episode?
The median episode on BingeTube is 81 seconds; half run 64 to 103 seconds (88,311 episodes counted on 29 October 2026).
How many episodes are in a short drama?
The median series has 43 episodes; half have 30 to 56, and the longest has 499.
Is the first episode of a short drama longer?
Usually. The median episode 1 runs 139 seconds against 81 seconds for all episodes, and episode 1 is longer than the series’ median episode in 90% of series.
What is the most common short drama genre?
Revenge: 48% of BingeTube series carry the tag, followed by billionaire romance (23%).
Can I use these statistics?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0: credit BingeTube. The CSV and JSON downloads have every figure with its base and source.