Vertical drama lands at Cannes: France, an untapped market

Micro-drama takes the stage at Cannes

At MIPCOM in Cannes (12–15 October 2026), micro-drama and vertical content moved to the center of the agenda. A format built at scale in China is now part of the big international content-market conversation. (Sources: EntertainLens, Streaming Radar.)

A booming global market

Short-drama apps passed roughly 950 million cumulative downloads by March 2025, and the United States became the largest market outside China, around $1.3 billion for the full year 2025. Analysts project the global market at $26 billion by 2030. (Sources: industry reports, Media Partners Asia.)

France: still a wide-open market

Despite this momentum, there is still no dedicated CNC support for the vertical format in France, and no brand-funded vertical drama production yet — unlike several other European countries. In other words, France remains a largely untapped market.

But the players are moving

Two French-made apps already exist — Storyshort and Sweetz (backed by M6 Group) — and public and private TV are testing the format with France TV Slash and TF1. Read our overview of vertical drama in France →

Follow it in the index

Vertical Clap Index tracks the French platforms alongside the rest of the world. See France in the index →