ReelShort projected to earn $1.05 billion in 2026, achieving first large-scale profit

Media Partners Asia’s new study predicts that micro-drama platform ReelShort will record $1.05 billion in revenue for 2026, a 34% increase over 2025, and generate its first meaningful profit at scale, with net earnings around $40 million after a $12 million loss the previous year. EBITDA is forecast at $63 million and is set to climb to $306 million by 2028 as marketing costs shrink from just over half of revenue in 2025 to below 45% by 2028, each percentage-point reduction worth roughly $10.5 million of EBITDA.

Subscriptions will continue to dominate, contributing 85-90% of revenue, while advertising is expected to grow to about 15% by 2028, offering high-margin earnings. The firm attributes margin expansion to successful franchises, telco partnerships in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, increased direct billing via ReelShort’s web store, and better creative testing. ReelShort holds an estimated 29% share of the global micro-drama market, ahead of competitors such as DramaBox and DramaWave.