The unit price of AI short-form drama production has plummeted to the cost line, and industry competition has shifted towards content and market factors.
In September 2026, the price of domestic AI short-series production dropped significantly, with some quotes falling from 5,000 yuan per minute to just a few hundred yuan, approaching the cost line. Meanwhile, the custom-made service remained at 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per minute. With the reduction in technical barriers and expanded production capacity, industry competition is shifting from focusing on output and price to quality of content and market implementation capabilities. Data shows that the domestic AI drama and comic market size is expected to exceed 40 billion yuan in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 138%; the overseas market size will reach 4 billion US dollars (about 26.938 billion yuan), accounting for nearly 70% of the overall overseas micro-short-series market.
In September 2026, the unit price of domestic AI short dramas will drop from 5,000 yuan per minute to several hundred yuan. However, custom services will still range from 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per minute. The reduced technical barriers has led to a surge in production capacity, and the industry is shifting from focusing on quantity and price to quality of content and market implementation capabilities. It is expected that the domestic AI drama and comic market size will exceed 40 billion yuan in 2026, with a year-on-year increase of 138%; the overseas market size will reach 4 billion US dollars (approximately 26.938 billion yuan), accounting for 70% of the total overseas micro-short dramas.
Since the beginning of this year, the price of AI short drama production has dropped significantly, with quotes dropping from 5,000 yuan per minute to just a few hundred yuan. The lowered technical barriers have led to a large number of practitioners entering the industry, and production capacity has expanded rapidly. As a result, although the customized services still range from 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per minute, industry competition is shifting towards competing in content and market strategies. Data shows that by 2026, the domestic market for AI dramas and comics is expected to exceed 40 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 138%; the overseas market is expected to exceed 4 billion US dollars, accounting for nearly 70% of the overall overseas micro-short drama market.
Since the beginning of this year, the price of AI short drama production has dropped significantly. Some quotes have fallen from 5,000 yuan per minute to just a few hundred yuan, approaching the cost threshold. Meanwhile, the custom service remains at 10,000 - 20,000 yuan per minute. With the reduction in technical barriers and capacity expansion, industry competition is shifting from focusing on production volume and prices to content and market competitiveness. Data shows that by 2026, the domestic market size for AI dramas and short animations is expected to exceed 40 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 138%; the overseas market size is expected to exceed 4 billion US dollars, accounting for nearly 70% of the overall overseas micro-short drama market.