Nearly 20% of long-form users now watch microdramas
Janice Lee, CEO of Viu and managing director of PCCW Media group, said almost 20% of the platform’s long-time user base already consumes microdrama content – and the format only launched a few months ago.
Speaking on stage at the APOS 2026 conference in Bali, Lee outlined a strategy that includes short-form content, pan-regional tentpoles and ad-funded originals.
“We just started a few months ago,” Lee said. “It’s not mutually exclusive in the sense that, you know, if people have time, they’ll watch a long series. But it’s a snacking behavior.”
Lee framed the microdrama push as an expansion of Viu’s existing proposition rather than a pivot away from premium long-form content. The platform also involves advertisers in short-term projects, with the format described as attractive to brands that want quick turnaround times. As an example of the branded content model in action, she cited “Abracadabra,” a travel adventure series set in Indonesia, produced in partnership with Samsung, starring Korean actor Ji Chang-wook alongside local talent.
On the originals front, Viu has renewed its partnership with South Korea’s Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), under which it has already launched the unscripted series ‘Rak Rak’, a dating reality show, and ‘Bite Me Sweet’, a dessert cooking competition. A scripted drama, “One of a Kind Romance,” is scheduled for release in November under the same scheme.
The streamer’s two flagship tentpoles take different routes to scale. Streaming on Viu, Now TV and Hulu, “The Season” was developed from its development as a global product: an English-language series with a predominantly Asian cast, designed to open up the U.S. market. Releasing in October, “Kidnap Game” is a pan-regional survival thriller co-produced by Fuji Television Network, PCCW Media’s MakerVille and South Korea’s SimStory, with principal photography in seven Asian cities and a cast led by Japan’s Kentaro Sakaguchi and Korean star Lee Joon-gi.
Lee also discussed Viu’s approach to artificial intelligence, organizing the company’s AI initiatives into three areas: operational efficiency, new revenue streams including microdrama production, and longer-term innovation experiments. She indicated that a launch in the third category would take place soon.
The session concluded with Lee and iQIYI International President Yang Xianghua jointly unveiling a streaming bundle for five markets in Southeast Asia, positioning the combination as complementary content libraries. “Together we are the best in Asian content,” Lee said.
