ReelShort as a New Template of International Short-drama Business: Platformisation,Glocalisation,and De-Westernised Practices

Abstract

The rise of short-dramas on vertical screens has captivated global audiences with their fast-paced, quirky, and addictive romantic narratives, offering a compelling alternative in the shift from long-form to short-form content consumption. This format has quickly developed into a transnational media product: driven by economic incentives and China’s ‘Going Global’ policy, numerous short-drama platforms have emerged, with ReelShort as an exemplar business and content template in the international drama market. Despite its commercial triumph, research on short-drama content strategies, particularly as a new generation of cultural export, remains limited. This article examines how ReelShort utilises glocalised content production, particularly in its primary U.S. market, to export not only individual episodes but also media templates. Drawing on content analysis and twelve semi-structured interviews, we argue that ReelShort’s success lies in its vertically integrated approach to intellectual properties (IPs) and its use of localised narratives in content creation. This study examines a new wave of transnational entertainment media exchange from one of the non-major cultural exporters, demonstrating how emerging media models can enrich global narratives, with ReelShort serving as an updated example.