China is strategically harnessing the explosive popularity of micro-dramas—brief, vertically-formatted serials designed for mobile consumption—as a powerful vehicle for implementing national social policy objectives. In a significant development, these digital narratives are being formally integrated into the country’s fitness strategy through the groundbreaking “Exercise Through Micro-dramas” initiative.
The movement gained official momentum in October 2025 when China’s National Radio and Television Administration partnered with the General Administration of Sport to launch this innovative program. This followed an August State Council directive that explicitly listed micro-dramas as an approved tool for promoting public sports participation. The initiative encourages production companies to create sports-themed content that makes athletic engagement more accessible and compelling to mainstream audiences.
Industry metrics reveal why micro-dramas present such an attractive policy implementation channel. According to the 2025 Micro-short Drama Industry White Paper, China’s micro-drama viewer base has swollen to 696 million people, with average daily consumption reaching 120.5 minutes per user. This represents a substantial captive audience for policy messaging.
Academic experts highlight the natural synergy between sports content and the micro-drama format. Professor Liu Fan of the Communication University of China notes that “micro-dramas are becoming an important component of the sports industry” due to their emotional intensity, suspense-driven narratives, and ability to amplify athletic drama within compressed timeframes.
The production ecosystem is rapidly adapting to this new directive. Migu Digital Media Co has already aligned its content pipeline with the government’s six creative directions, developing China’s first micro-dramas focused on scientific fitness and short-track speed skating. Meanwhile, Chongqing Maiya Media Co has completed 26 sports-centered productions, including the phenomenally successful billiards-themed ‘The Little Pool God,’ which garnered over 200 million views and topped industry popularity rankings.
Despite this progress, challenges remain in balancing entertainment value with substantive sports education. Some productions still prioritize dramatic tropes like time travel or romantic fantasy over core athletic values such as teamwork and discipline. Experts suggest future development should explore integrations with local industries and cultures through approaches like “sports + tourism” and “sports + intangible cultural heritage.”
As the industry evolves toward premiumization, creators face the challenge of meeting rising audience expectations while maintaining the authentic sports immersion that makes the format effective. The ultimate success of this innovative policy approach may depend on returning to ordinary people’s daily experiences and exploring how sports narratives can resonate with broader social emotions.