YouTube News

YouTube reported microdramas drew 6.5 billion views in H1 2026

Microdrama views on TV screens rose more than 90 percent year over year in the same period, YouTube said at Made on YouTube.

By The Creator Wire Staff Published Sept. 25, 2026

YouTube said at Made on YouTube 2026 that microdrama videos on the platform logged 6.5 billion views in the first half of 2026, a 50 percent increase from the comparable stretch in 2025.

Views on TV screens climbed more than 90 percent year over year during that stretch. YouTube has ranked as the leading U.S. distributor of watch time on TV screens for two years, ahead of streaming services and cable and broadcast networks.

The platform paired the numbers with Shorts Series, which lets Partner Program creators group Shorts into seasons and episodes on web, mobile, and connected TVs. That mirrors Shows, the episodic collections tool YouTube rolled out for long-form uploads in August 2025.

Kurt Wilms, YouTube director of product for the living room, said viewers told him TV made communal Shorts viewing possible in households. Dina Berrada, senior director of product for Shorts, said bite-sized clips personalized to taste are performing across screens.