TikTok launches PineDrama, a new app for free 1-minute microdramas

The new platform, currently available in the United States and Brazil has an identical design to TikTok, but focused on this type of romantic, suspense or family soap operas, and offers recommendations and trends.

PineDrama is TikTok’s entry into this content niche, where other platforms such as DramaBox or ReelShort already exist. However, the PineDrama episodes are currently free and without ads, while the others are paid, although there are some chapters that serve as ‘demos’ to attract users.

“The interesting thing about this is that it is the first time that it is launched without advertising and it does not yet have a paywall,” the founder of the streaming consultancy Owl & Co, Hernán López, told Business Insider. “It is a sign that vertical video is evolving,” he clarified.

However, it is not TikTok’s first attempt to enter this market. At the end of 2025, the platform launched ‘Minis’, a tab within the application itself to view this type of formats.

Microdramas, increasingly popular, deal with romantic, supernatural themes, or even both. Among the most popular titles in this format is ‘Love at First Bite’, with more than 18 million views. Additionally, PineDrama’s most famous titles, ‘The Officer Fell For Me’, ‘She’s Back’ and ‘Hit the Jackpot! My Broke Chef Is a Billionaire’, has more than 100 million views.

The consulting firm Owl & Co. has estimated that the microdrama format generated 1.3 billion dollars in the United States in 2025mainly through direct payments from viewers. According to Variety, microdramas could generate more than $26 million annually by 2030.