Watch Club Brings Union Talent to Vertical Video Dramas

The microdrama industry makes billions from formulaic romance stories, but one startup believes quality content could make it even bigger.

Watch Club just secured seed funding from GV to create vertical video series using SAG and WGA talent. Unlike competitors ReelShort and DramaBox, which earned $1.2 billion and $276 million respectively without union actors, Watch Club is betting on professional storytelling.

Founder Henry Soong, a former Meta product manager, isn't interested in churning out clichéd plots about secret billionaire werewolves. Instead, he's hiring professional writers to create shows people actually want to discuss.

The app's first series, "Return Offer," follows tech interns in San Francisco competing for full-time jobs. It launches with daily episodes, mirroring the release schedule that made microdramas popular in China.

What sets Watch Club apart is its built-in social network. Soong noticed that the best part of watching shows like "Severance" or "Stranger Things" happens afterward, when fans dissect theories on Reddit or share reactions on social media.

"You watch it, and then you just want to gossip with your three best friends about it," Soong told TechCrunch. His app houses both the content and the fan forums in one place.

The Ripple Effect

The approach could transform how creators work in entertainment. Watch Club offers professional writers and actors creative freedom at a pace faster than traditional TV, even with smaller budgets.

Founding producer Devon Albert-Stone is building a slate of ten shows with union talent. The company attracted investment from Patreon CEO Jack Conte and executives from Hulu, HBO Max, and Meta.

Soong brings an unusual perspective to the entertainment industry. At Meta, he generated $5 billion in annual ad sales by helping Chinese companies advertise outside their country. That experience taught him how microdrama apps work and why they spend heavily on user acquisition.

His goal isn't just to make better microdramas. He wants to create what comes after streaming television by proving that quality short-form content can build passionate communities.