Asian Streamer Viu Launches Vertical Video Platform for Microdramas

Asian streaming giant Viu has expanded its content offerings with the debut of Viu Shorts, a new vertical video section featuring bite-sized dramas in multiple Asian languages.

The platform offers microdramas in Chinese, Korean, Thai and Indonesian, with episodes running one to three minutes each. The new section is integrated into Viu’s mobile app and complements the service’s existing library of premium long-form series and films.

“We are thrilled to add a new facet to our service with the launch of Viu Shorts,” said Janice Lee, CEO of Viu and managing director of PCCW Media Group. “This new feature brings viewers fast-paced storytelling in a 1–3 minute episodic format, perfectly complementing Viu’s extensive offering of premium long-form series and movies.”

Viu Shorts operates on a freemium model, with subscribers receiving unlimited access to the full microdrama library while free users can watch select content. The platform features content across multiple genres including romance, thriller, variety and fantasy, all subtitled in local languages.

The service has partnered with microdrama distributors Rising Joy and KT Studiogenie, as well as production companies including China Huace, 1001 Frames and Youhug Media.

Launch titles include “Pear Perfect,” following a woman who encounters a playboy fighting human trafficking after her family faces financial ruin, and “The Most Painful Kiss in the World,” about a protagonist with the power to absorb others’ pain through touch. Other offerings include revenge thriller “My Husband Murdered Me” and occult romance “Becoming the Wife of a Dark Cult Overlord.”

The updated Viu app with the Shorts section is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Viu, owned by PCCW, operates across Asia, the Middle East and South Africa.

IN 2025, HBO Max partnered with Viu to create a unified subscription package for customers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.