RJOY Signs Microdrama Deals with Sooka, IDN App
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- RJOY signed distribution deals with Astro's Sooka platform in Malaysia and IDN App in Indonesia at APOS in Bali, expanding its direct-to-consumer footprint to four markets after earlier deals with TikTok Minis for the U.S. and Japan.
- CEO Cassandra Yang framed Southeast Asia as one of the fastest-growing microdrama markets outside China, saying local distribution partners are how the service will scale in the region.
- Astro Chief Content Officer Agnes Rozario said the partnership reflects Sooka's commitment to mobile-first formats suited to evolving viewing habits in Malaysia.
- RisingJoy also operates as an aggregator distributing microdrama titles to more than 50 platforms and apps across 30 countries, with content spanning Chinese, English, Korean, and AI-original formats.
- RJOY is launching with 20 "RJOY Originals" in the second half of 2026, including anime adaptations "Addicted To The Dark Boss" and "Hide My Secret In The Moonlight," AI human titles "The Substitute Bride's Secret Wonderland" and "Blind Spoiled," and original fantasy anime "Locked Away, I Break Unbreakable."
- RisingJoy unveiled a "microdrama bible" for 10 titles developed with strategic partner and investor Double Vision, mapping story arcs, hooks, and regional production guidance, with plans to co-develop 30 bibles in the coming months.
Why it matters: RJOY's partner-driven model — leveraging Astro's established Malaysian audience and IDN's Indonesian reach — lets RisingJoy scale into Southeast Asia's microdrama market without building local infrastructure from scratch. The shift from pure aggregation toward original IP, with 20 originals and 30 production bibles in the pipeline, positions the company to capture more value as international microdrama competition intensifies.
