WeChat is upgrading short dramas from a mini-program feature to platform-level distribution.

On November 12, some users noticed a new "Short Drama" entry within the "Top Stories" feature on WeChat's Discover page. Through this entry, users can view short dramas they have recently watched. The entry is designed mainly to help users more easily find high-quality short drama content they enjoy, and to give creators' good content greater visibility. The feature is currently in grayscale testing, meaning only some users can see it on WeChat's "Discover" page.

Over the past year, short dramas within WeChat have mainly relied on mini-programs and spontaneous user sharing. On October 14, Tencent quietly launched "Lvpaopao Short Drama," which focuses on "free good dramas, watch with one tap" and was introduced by WeChat's short drama content center. Users do not need to download a standalone app. Lvpaopao Short Drama is divided into three sections: "Free Theater," "Swipe," and "Mine." Under "Free Theater," there are categories such as AI dramas, live-action dramas, daily new releases, animated dramas, must-watch this week, and million-play dramas. Its business model is entirely free content, monetized through ads inserted between episodes; the platform itself does not produce content, as dramas are provided by third-party short drama producers and authorized distributors, while Tencent provides the entry point and traffic and obtains authorization to display content playback. The "Short Drama Mini-Program User Agreement" shows that the contracting entity for the service is Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Company Limited. Compared with Hongguo Short Drama, Lvpaopao carries a stronger social footprint. In addition to the usual rankings on its homepage, it also features a "Friends Watching" recommendation slot and a regional trending list marked by area.

The short drama industry is currently in a stage of scale expansion. The "China-ASEAN Micro Short Drama International Communication Development Report" released by the National Radio and Television Administration on October 20 shows that in 2025, a total of 33,000 micro short dramas were launched and broadcast nationwide, and from January to September 2026, the number of launches reached 490,000, 13 times the full-year total of 2025; the user scale of micro short dramas is 850 million, with more than 600 million monthly active users. DataEye Research Institute estimates that in 2026, the combined market size of China's micro short dramas, AI dramas, and animated dramas is expected to exceed 121 billion yuan, of which AI simulated live-action dramas and animated dramas account for about 40 billion yuan.