SEOUL, South Korea & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 31, 2025--
Vigloo, a premier destination for immersive short-form dramas from Korean content platform company SpoonLabs, today announced its expansion into the U.S. market, aiming to establish itself as a leader in the rapidly growing short-form streaming industry. Backed by $86 million from South Korea's gaming giant Krafton, the platform is investing heavily in 100+ English-language originals, tapping into America’s surging demand for short-form and mobile-first content.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331029360/en/
Originating in Asia, short-form drama platforms are rapidly expanding worldwide, with the U.S. emerging as a key market. According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, short-form drama app downloads grew by 320 million year-over-year in 2024. Outside China, these apps generated $1.2 billion in revenue, with the U.S. contributing 60%, making it the largest revenue-generating market in this segment.
America’s Growing Love Affair with Short-Form Drama
With the U.S. short-form drama market booming, Vigloo is rapidly emerging as a leader in this entertainment revolution since its launch in July 2024. The company is set to release over 100 original English-language titles by the end of the year. Since December 2024, the platform’s U.S. monthly active users (MAU) have increased fivefold, reflecting a major shift in viewing habits. With U.S. users now generating 50% of its revenue, the company is doubling down on American storytelling—fusing local narratives with the fast-paced, addictive format that has captivated audiences across Asia.
With 70% of U.S. users aged 35 and above—and 60% female—Vigloo’s audience is primarily composed of busy professionals, working moms, and Gen X and older millennial viewers who crave entertainment that fits their on-the-go lifestyles. Whether balancing careers with family time or enjoying hard-earned relaxation, Vigloo offers a streaming experience tailored for short breaks between responsibilities.
“The U.S. has become the biggest market for short-form drama, and Vigloo is leading the charge by delivering original, immersive content that speaks directly to American audiences,” said Neil Hyuk-jae Choi, CEO of SpoonLabs. “Through strategic production partnerships in the U.S. and a growing library of English-language originals, we’re redefining mobile-first entertainment with fresh, binge-worthy storytelling.”
The platform's top U.S. genres include romance, with popular subgenres such as cross-cultural workplace romance (e.g., working abroad in Korea) and thrillers (e.g., betrayals and revenge plots). Some of Vigloo’s most-watched dramas in the U.S. include Fight for Love, The Billionaire Cowboy’s Runaway Bride, and Escaping the Bridezilla.
The Future of Streaming
Vigloo’s over-the-top (OTT) platform combines best practices in gaming, webtoons, social media, and TV to deliver bite-sized, high-quality content. Each series features 50-100 episodes, with episodes lasting just 1-2 minutes—perfect for today’s fast-scrolling audience.
Meeting the demand for fresh, diverse content, Vigloo achieves this through a flexible and cost-effective production model. With content available in eight languages, including English, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and Arabic, the platform offers a global streaming experience tailored to local tastes.
Choi added, “Stay tuned for upcoming announcements as Vigloo continues to build a thriving creator ecosystem and partners with U.S. creators to expand our short-form drama lineup.”
For updates on Vigloo’s U.S. expansion and upcoming content releases, visit www.vigloo.com.
About Vigloo
Vigloo, the innovative streaming platform, provides short-form drama aficionados worldwide with a curated selection of premium content from both emerging and award-winning filmmakers. Designed for mobile-first, episodic storytelling, its vertical-scrolling OTT platform caters to audiences seeking binge-worthy entertainment without the lengthy time commitments of traditional streaming content. Vigloo's vast library of over 20,000 hours and 200 series of exclusive content spans genres like romance, comedy, and thriller, featuring original IP for the U.S., Korean, and Japanese markets, as well as licensed IP in eight languages. Vigloo is operated by SpoonLabs, a global content platform company backed by investments from leading venture capital firms and Korean video game company Krafton. For more information, visit www.vigloo.com and www.spoonlabs.com/kr/.
Short, Sweet, and Unstoppable: Short-Form Drama Takes the World by Storm
NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris “wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Donald Trump with sufficient “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.
The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.
On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."
Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him on the ticket or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.
“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”
A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation.
“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.
The postelection report, which was authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”
“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.
The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.
The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”
“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”
The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”
Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.
Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.
Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.
The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”
“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”
The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.
“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)
