TonTV, a short-form drama platform aimed at a global audience, launched in Vietnam on Oct. 21. The company said on Oct. 29 that vertical drama is only the entry product, and that it plans to expand into regional live broadcasts and AI-generated films and series.
Choosing Vietnam as the first market tracks a broader shift: after China and the United States, the short-form drama race is moving into Southeast Asia. Vertical micro-dramas carry comparatively low production costs and localize easily, which makes the format a practical beachhead for a new platform.
A three-step path to live and AI
The roadmap has three branches. First, locally tailored content made with regional partners. Second, live streaming of local performances and regional sports. Third, films and series produced with AI.
The most notable item sits inside that third branch: personalized AI content in which the viewer appears as a character in the story. It is an attempt to shift the axis from content people watch to content people enter. The company was careful to frame all three as future work, separate from the short-form drama service running today.
K-EnterTech Hub analysis
It is an unusual combination. Live sports and AI-generated storytelling differ in production cycle, rights structure and technology stack alike. The real test is not how fast the platform expands but whether the short-form stage produces paid conversion and repeat visits. Average revenue per user is low across Southeast Asia, so TonTV will need to prove it can carry the cost of live rights before it reaches for them.
TonTV launched in Vietnam on Oct. 21, 2026. More information is available on the company's website.