📱Quibi walked so microdramas could run…

The Dailies

Five years after Quibi's infamous demise, a group of Hollywood veterans are trying the bite-sized mobile TV thing again. This time with 99% less budget and 100% more shameless content. Lloyd Braun (former ABC Entertainment chief), Jana Winograde (ex-Showtime president), Susan Rovner (ex-NBCUniversal content chair), and Chris McGurk (Cineverse CEO) just announced MicroCo, and they swear this time is different.

What they're making: The opposite of Emmy-bait. These are 1-3 minute vertical videos with soap opera plots on steroids. Think ‘Pregnant by My Ex's Professor Dad’ (yes, that’s an actual ReelShort title). Episodes hook you in 3 seconds, hit a cliffhanger by 23 seconds, then make you pay to see what happens next. It's TikTok meets telenovela.

Why they think it’ll actually work this time…

• It’s literally 99% cheaper than Quibi: While Quibi burned $100,000+ per minute producing prestige content, MicroCo's using AI to make shows for just $1,500 per minute.
• The demand’s already there: Micro-dramas are already a $7B business in China, and while Americans make up only 8% of users, they generate 50% of global revenue.
• Timing’s everything: Post-pandemic, post-TikTok viewers are primed for bite-sized phone content in a way they weren't in 2020.
• It’s a better business model: Instead of Quibi's subscription-only model that nobody wanted, MicroCo's going freemium—hook viewers with free episodes, then charge for the endings.

Looking ahead… The app launches in 2026, just as the micro-drama market is projected to hit $10B globally by 2027.