ReelShort is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with a new strategic partnership with Philippine telecommunications giant Globe, even as founder and CEO Joey Jia says the future of the company extends far beyond microdramas.

The pact comes just two months after ReelShort launched its first major Southeast Asian partnership with Thailand’s AIS, as the company moves to build a broader regional presence through telecom and content collaborations. The Globe deal will bring ReelShort’s growing library of vertical dramas to millions of Filipino consumers in one of the world’s most mobile-engaged markets.

Speaking at APOS during a fireside chat titled “Micro Dramas, Mega Economics,” Jia described vertical storytelling as an emerging entertainment category that is only beginning to realize its potential.

“In the past, we focused on content,” Jia tells Variety. “Now we need to create an ecosystem.”

Founded in 2022 by Crazy Maple Studio, ReelShort has grown into one of the largest vertical entertainment platforms globally, surpassing 286 million downloads and attracting tens of millions of monthly active users. The company now employs more than 1,600 staff members and works with an additional network of freelance creators and production partners. Jia, however, is quick to reframe what that milestone means. “Downloads were never our dream or our goal,” he says. “Our goal is to create diversified content that meets the demands of different audience segments, ultimately serving a wide range of viewers.”

Despite the category’s rapid growth, Jia believes the industry remains in its infancy. “It’s still the very beginning,” he tells Variety. “But audience adoption and market growth indicate that it is evolving into a major new content category that will be embraced by the wider media and entertainment industry.”

“The biggest misconception is that microdrama is limited to romance, low production values or a one-time-wonder project,” he adds.

For Jia, the evolution of vertical entertainment is closely tied to the future of IP. “With the evolution of distribution channels, the way new IP is created has diversified,” he adds. “Vertical storytelling will be the most important channel for future IP.”

AI is expected to play a major role in that evolution. While acknowledging widespread concerns about AI’s impact on creative industries, Jia says ReelShort is already exploring AI as a parallel production workflow rather than simply a support tool.

Asked whether ReelShort sees itself competing with streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney and Prime Video, Jia is unequivocal. “We are not competing,” he says. “We are creating a new category.”