Once considered a "gold mine" in the Vietnamese entertainment market—attracting major stars and garnering massive viewership—Vietnamese web dramas are now gradually fading from the scene. The market is undergoing a shift as audience behavior, distribution platforms, and business models all evolve.
Stepping out of the spotlight
"The web drama market has now reached a saturation point," observes director Giang Thanh, a veteran of the genre. According to this director who was born in the 1990s, web dramas are no longer the preferred form of entertainment for audiences. Viewers now have a wider array of choices, ranging from OTT platforms and social media to short-form videos on TikTok and podcasts.
Market realities clearly reflect this trend, with only a handful of famous artists and content creation groups still striving to produce web dramas.
Most recently, the 2026 Tet season saw a few web dramas generate excitement, such as Xuan ha duoc thu dong (Spring and summer give way to autumn and winter), a comedy-family films directed and produced by Quach Ngoc Tuyen, Tet den roi ve nha thoi (Tet is here—time to head home) directed by Thu Trang, Ve que co gi vui (What's fun about going back to the countryside?) by Duy Khanh, and Gia dinh cuc suc don Tet 2026 (The gruff family welcomes Tet 2026) by Vo Tan Phat.
A small number of creative groups, such as FAPTV which was established over a decade ago continue to maintain long-running series like Com nguoi (Cold rice), which has aired hundreds of episodes.
In the past, Vietnamese web dramas once flourished in a favorable market, with YouTube prioritizing long-form content, lucrative advertising revenue and strong interest from brands in providing sponsorship. Today, however, all three factors are undergoing significant change.
First, audience behavior, particularly among Gen Z, has shifted strongly toward short-form video. Episodes lasting 25 minutes –30 minutes are no longer a top choice. The explosion of short-form video platforms like TikTok, Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts has reshaped content consumption, compelling creators to hook viewers within the first few seconds. This shift not only creates pressure regarding pacing but also transforms storytelling techniques.
Audiences are currently bombarded with an overwhelming amount of content. It is far more difficult for a web drama to become a viral phenomenon today than it was a few years ago. To capture the audience's attention now, a web drama must be truly exceptional and distinctive, says director Giang Thanh.
Vietnamese web dramas shift from mass production to survival
A look at the current market reveals that, rather than mass production, the Vietnamese web drama sector is becoming increasingly segmented. While 1-to-3-minute mini-series are surging in popularity, a select few web dramas manage to endure thanks to loyal fanbases and steady viewership.
Actor Quach Ngoc Tuyen shares that he is considered stubborn for persisting with web drama production. For him, the format offers a space to proactively choose roles, express his artistic identity, and bring content to audiences who cannot frequently visit movie theaters. However, this perseverance comes with mounting financial pressure.
Actor Quach Ngoc Tuyen notes that producing the web drama Trang dien (Crazy moon) cost approximately VND1 billion for four episodes; fortunately, a brand partnership allowed him to cover only half the cost. Self-funding the entire project would have been difficult, as revenue generation from YouTube is slow. Many previously active creative teams have also had to scale back production amidst a challenging economic climate. The key issue today is no longer the sheer volume of web dramas produced annually, but rather how creators adapt to shifting audience behaviors, evolving distribution platforms, and the increasingly fierce competition within the multi-platform content ecosystem.
Director Giang Thanh identifies cost recovery as the most significant challenge for web drama creators. Production costs are rising, and YouTube advertising revenue is no longer as lucrative as it once was; meanwhile, sponsors demand clear, tangible results. Relying solely on view counts to recoup investments—let alone generate a profit—carries immense risk.
Consequently, producers must diversify their revenue streams—incorporating brand sponsorships, rights exploitation, OTT streaming platforms, and other commercial avenues—to sustain production.
While web dramas may no longer be the top choice for everyone, they remain a preferred option for audiences seeking a complete, self-contained story. Filmmakers, too, must adapt by telling the right stories on the right platforms and reaching the right audiences.
