AI short-form drama production has surged this year as technical barriers fell and capacity expanded, driving per-minute production quotes down from ~5,000 yuan to several hundred yuan—approaching cost—while bespoke projects still command 10,000–20,0

2026-09-06

AI short-form drama production has surged this year as technical barriers fell and capacity expanded, driving per-minute production quotes down from ~5,000 yuan to several hundred yuan—approaching cost—while bespoke projects still command 10,000–20,000 yuan/min. With basic production no longer scarce, competition is shifting from output and price to content quality and market reach. Forecasts project China’s AI drama/animation market to exceed 40 bln yuan by 2026 (YoY growth ~138%); the overseas segment is expected to top $4 bln, or roughly 70% of the overseas micro short-form drama market.