ReelShort Expands in Asia with New Telecom Deal and a Vision Beyond Short Stories

ReelShort is pushing its reach across Southeast Asia by teaming up with Globe, a major Philippine telecom firm. This follows an earlier partnership with Thailand’s AIS just two months ago. The goal is to make the company’s library of vertical dramas available to millions of Filipino mobile users, a market known for high smartphone use. During a fireside chat at APOS titled “Micro Dramas, Mega Economics, ” CEO Joey Jia explained that the company is moving from simply producing content to building a full entertainment ecosystem. He said vertical storytelling, which focuses on short, mobile-friendly narratives, is just starting to show its true potential. Founded in 2022 by Crazy Maple Studio, ReelShort has grown into a global leader in vertical entertainment. It has more than 286 million downloads and tens of millions of active monthly users, and it now employs over 1, 600 people plus a network of freelance creators. Jia clarified that downloads were never the main aim; instead, the focus is on creating diverse content for many different audience groups.Jia believes that the vertical drama market is still very young but growing fast. He notes that while some think microdramas are limited to romance or low‑budget projects, the reality is broader. He sees vertical storytelling as a key channel for new intellectual property (IP) in the future, especially as distribution methods evolve. Artificial intelligence is expected to shape this evolution. While acknowledging concerns about AI’s impact on creativity, Jia says ReelShort is already experimenting with AI as a parallel production workflow, not just a helper tool. When asked if the company competes with big streaming services like Netflix, Disney, or Prime Video, Jia was clear: ReelShort is not a competitor; it is creating a new category of entertainment altogether.