AI Short Drama Production Costs Plummet, Competition Shifts to Content and Market

This year, AI short dramas have seen explosive growth. Lower technical barriers have attracted many newcomers, leading to rapid capacity expansion and a sharp drop in production costs. The price per minute for AI short dramas has fallen from 5,000 yuan to a few hundred yuan, nearing cost, while custom-made dramas still command 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per minute.

As "knowing how to make" is no longer a rare skill, competition is shifting from volume and price to content and market. Data shows that by 2026, China's AI drama and animation market is expected to exceed 40 billion yuan, a 138% year-on-year increase. The overseas market is also performing well, with a projected size of over 4 billion USD, about 26.94 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 70% of the overall overseas micro-drama market.