It’s about time that the microdrama trend has gone mainstream.
As microdrama apps like ReelShort and DramaBox quietly rake in billions, Peacock announced on Monday that’s launching two unscripted Bravo microdramas, which will stream on its app. These are vertical video series, with episodes around 60 to 90 seconds, are designed for a quick, TikTok-like viewing experience.
“Salon Confessionals with Madison LeCroy” will feature the “Southern Charm” star as she gives her clients a makeover while they tell her their most dramatic stories. “Campus Confidential: Miami” spotlights a group of college students including Georgia Gay, daughter of Heather Gay from “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”
According to Peacock, this marks the first time that a major U.S. streaming platform has produced microdramas — and it was bound to happen.
First popularized in China, microdrama apps are poised to have a breakout year in the U.S. app market. According to the app intelligence firm Appfigures, ReelShort reached roughly $1.2 billion in gross consumer spending in 2025, up 119% from 2024; another leading app, DramaBox, made $276 million in gross consumer spending last year, more than doubling its 2024 numbers.
Earlier this year, TikTok launched a standalone microdrama app called PineDrama. Another microdrama app run by Hollywood veterans called GammaTime raised $14 million in funding, including angel checks from Alexis Ohanian, Kris Jenner, and Kim Kardashian.
Many of the existing microdrama apps, however, are putting out shows that are — how can we put it nicely? — terrible. This stuff makes “Riverdale” seem like a highly intellectual, prestige HBO show. We’re not talking about “bad TV” as in, how you might feel slightly sheepish about your “Real Housewives” obsession. We’re talking about a formulaic content machine that generates thousands of shows about a poor, nerdy girl who gets bullied, but when she gets pushed to the ground, her glasses fall off, and some billionaire (who is possibly a werewolf) realizes she’s pretty (or, his werewolf mate) and falls in love with her.
And yet, people can’t seem to get enough and subscribe to watch these addictive microdramas, paying $20 per week in some cases to find out what happens next after some crazy cliffhanger.
This collaboration between Peacock and Bravo could prove clever, though. These two shows have built-in audiences made up of Bravo fanatics, who are already going to the Peacock app to watch established series they love, like “Vanderpump Rules.” Peacock is betting that while they’re already on the app, they’ll be enticed to watch a minute-long video of Madison LeCroy giving someone a makeover while they spill the tea.
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