How Chinese short-video streaming firms are reshaping Latin America's media landscape

Latin America's media landscape is being reshaped by a new suite of entertainment producers, as short drama platforms, often with business ties to China, command an increasingly large share of the region's video streaming market.

According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower's State of Mobile 2026 report published last week, demand for short dramas is driving a "structural shift in consumer attention", with such content thriving in Latin America.

Globally, the number of downloads of short-drama platforms surged by 186% year-on-year, to 733 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, surpassing those of video-streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, at 658 million, according to the report.

Short dramas, also known as "micro", or "mini" dramas, refer to vertically-shot serials featuring episodes typically no longer than three minutes long.

"The appeal of short dramas lies in their ability to deliver emotional intensity and stimulation, which is also what allowed the format to rise so rapidly in popularity", says Wenjia Tang, research associate from the University of Sydney's Media and Communications department.

First popularized in China on short-form content-sharing apps like Douyin, a sister app of TikTok, and Kuaishou, short dramas have found international appeal, with popular platforms such as ReelShort and DramaBox now producing content dubbed in English, Spanish and French, among others.

Although short dramas are increasingly expected to meet higher standards of production quality and professionalism, their original narrative style has largely been retained - delivering low-effort, low-commitment entertainment that requires neither deep thought nor extended attention, Tang told CNBC.

Such content is often "easier to digest" for consumers accustomed to watching short-form content like TikTok videos and Instagram reels, as opposed to longer-form content from streaming platforms like Netflix, according to Seema Shah, Vice President of Insights at Sensor Tower.

Sensor Tower reports that although there is a significant global uptick in consumption of short-drama content, Latin America is "emerging as the fastest-growing region for engagement" with these videos.

Latin American downloads of the top 20 short drama apps have increased by roughly 402% year-on-year in 2025, on top of a 4,300% year-on-year increase from 2024, according to Shah.

Not only do Latin American users overwhelmingly consume entertainment content on their mobile phones, there are also strong similarities between short dramas and telenovelas - a genre of serialized drama popular in Latin American countries, according to Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at research firm Omdia.