My Drama

Last updated

My Drama
Company typeStreaming service
IndustryEntertainment, technology
FoundedMarch 2024 (2024-03)
FounderBogdan Nesvit, Anatolii Kasianov
Area served
Worldwide (190+ countries)
Key people
Bogdan Nesvit (Co-founder and Co-CEO)
Anatolii Kasianov (Co-founder and Co-CEO)
ProductsVertical-format streaming series
ServicesMobile and web-based vertical streaming platform
Parent Holywater
Website my-drama.com

My Drama (also may be stylised as MyDrama) is a global streaming service specializing in vertical-format video series for western Duanju. It is owned by the Ukrainian company Holywater. The platform focuses on short-form, emotional storytelling optimized for smartphone viewing, offering content in over 30 languages across 190 countries.

Contents

Overview

My Drama offers vertically formatted episodic dramas, primarily targeting mobile audiences. The platform is part of Holywater's ecosystem of mobile storytelling applications, which include My Passion (a digital novel app) and My Muse (an AI-assisted content platform).

History

My Drama was launched in 2024 by Holywater, founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur Bogdan Nesvit and Anatolii Kasianov. [1] The service gained international traction as part of a growing market for short-form vertical storytelling, influenced by mobile-first entertainment trends. [2] [3]

In 2024, My Drama won a People's Voice award at the 28th Annual Webby Awards. [4]

In 2025, My Drama received a Gold Award at the MUSE Creative Awards in the Mobile App: Video Streaming Services category. [5] [6]

In 2025, the company received strategic investment from Fox Entertainment, aimed at expanding content creation capabilities and producing over 200 vertical video series. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

In January 2026, HOLYWATER raised $22 million in funding to expand its microdrama business in the United States. [13] [14] The investment round was led by Horizon Capital, with participation from U.S.-based investors including Endeavor Catalyst and Wheelhouse. [15] The funding is intended to support the development of HOLYWATER’s mobile-first vertical video platform, My Drama, as well as the company’s AI-driven content initiatives, such as AI-assisted comics and anime. [16] [17]

Platform and content

My Drama primarily streams serialized vertical dramas, which are short-form episodes around 1-2 minutes in length designed for mobile consumption. [18] [19]

Many series are adaptations of successful stories originally published on Holywater's book platform My Passion. [20] [21]

The platform employs AI technology in areas such as content recommendation and story generation, and is one of several Holywater apps focused on interactive entertainment. [22] [23]

Partnerships

In 2024, Holywater entered a partnership with Latin American studio Elefantec Global to distribute vertical dramas in Spanish-language markets. [24]

Reception

My Drama has been highlighted in discussions of the global rise of vertical short drama platforms and has been compared with similar apps such as ReelShort and DramaBox. [25] [26]

The service has been noted for its use of AI-generated storytelling and short-form episodic content designed for high engagement. [27]

Metrics

As of 2025, My Drama has produced over 56 titles and reached more than 40 million lifetime users, according to media reports. [28] [8]

See also

References

  1. "How My Drama became the best startup of 2023 and conquered the world (interview)". dev.ua. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. Forristal, Lauren (4 September 2024). "Short series app My Drama takes on Character.AI with its new AI companions". TechCrunch. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  3. "This Overseas Short Drama App is Insane! Millions of Users in Five Months with New AI Character Features". AIbase. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  4. "The 28th Annual Webby Awards (2024) Winners". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  5. "My Drama: Watch shorts movies". MUSE Creative Awards. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  6. "My Drama platform wins award at the Muse Creative Awards 2025". Duanju News. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  7. "Fox Entertainment takes stake in Ukraine's vertical video platform Holywater". Broadcast. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Fox takes a stake in vertical video company Holywater". Simply Wall St. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  9. Spangler, Todd (10 October 2025). "Fox Entertainment to Produce 200-Plus Vertical Video Series Including Microdramas Under Deal Acquiring Stake in Ukrainian App Start-Up Holywater". Variety Australia/New Zealand. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  10. Manfredi, Lucas (9 October 2025). "Fox Entertainment Takes Stake in Holywater". TheWrap. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  11. "FOX Entertainment enters a strategic partnership with HOLYWATER to drive Hollywood's evolution". HOLYWATER. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  12. Azugama, Blessing (17 October 2025). "Fox invests in Holywater: embracing the Duanju format". Duanju News. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  13. Flynn, Sara Fischer,Kerry (15 January 2026). "Exclusive: Holywater raises $22 million for microdramas". Axios. Retrieved 22 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. "HOLYWATER secures $22M to expand mobile microdrama content". Tech.eu. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  15. Kilkenny, Katie (15 January 2026). "Holywater Raises $22 Million in Financing Amid Microdramas Arms Race". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  16. Sokic, Nicholas. "Vertical series firm Holywater closes $22M financing round" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  17. "HOLYWATER Raises Record $22 Million to Turn Microdramas into Mainstream Entertainment in the U.S." Morningstar, Inc. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  18. "MyDrama App Review: A New Vertical Video Streaming Experience". VideoTechToday. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  19. "A dark romance in Duanju format with Marina Boyko on the My Drama app". Duanju News. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  20. "My Drama and My Passion: How Vertical Fiction Is Transforming Digital Reading". Mobile Marketing Reads. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  21. Han, Wenwen (26 August 2025). "Bogdan Nesvit: "Our goal is to turn every successful book into a vertical series"". Duanju News. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  22. Singh, Sarabjeet (22 June 2023). "Holywater's apps blend AI companions and microdramas, and it's raised $1 million". TechCrunch. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  23. "MyDrama: AI-Powered Streaming App with Bite-Sized Videos". HackerNoon. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  24. "Holywater partners with Elefantec to expand My Drama in Spanish-speaking markets". PRODU. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  25. "Vertical Drama Apps Are Taking Over: What Is MyDrama?". Technology.org. 18 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  26. "MyDrama App: New Player in the Vertical Video Storytelling Space". Authority Magazine. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  27. "MyDrama Review: Streaming AI-Enhanced Fiction in Vertical Format". AIbase. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  28. "Fox Entertainment Takes Stake in Holywater". TheWrap. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.