The pro wrestling promotion has partnered with prominent microdrama platform ReelShort to produce an original live-action vertical show–which, according to WWE, marks “the first collaboration between a major sports and entertainment brand and a microdrama platform.”
WWE and ReelShort haven’t released much information about the microdrama, but The Hollywood Reporter writes that two of WWE’s Scottish wrestlers, Drew McIntyre and Joe Hendry, will join SmackDown frontman Jacob Fatu and more as-yet-unannounced performers in the show.
WWE’s stars will appear alongside two non-wrestler actors with experience in microdramas: Marc Herrman, who previously appeared in ReelShort productions Fiancée’s Betrayal, Dante’s Inferno, and Puck Me Baby One More Time; and Chase Mattson, who was in Married to the Don and My Duplicated Husband (again, both from ReelShort).
Production is planned for August, with the series launch expected on ReelShort sometime this fall.
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“Brand partnerships are evolving beyond product placement. We’re creating entertainment ecosystems where brands, talent, and storytelling come together to build cultural moments that audiences actively engage with and share,” Sammie Hao, ReelShort’s Head of Talent & Business Development, said in a statement.
Ben Houser, Head of Original Content and Development at WWE, added, “By bringing WWE Superstars into the ReelShort cinematic world, we are creating a new storytelling experience for the WWE Universe, while reaching a fresh audience with premium content on ReelShort’s innovative platform.”
Savvy internet denizens will know this is not exactly an unexpected move for WWE. The organization has been posting match clips and behind-the-scenes content on YouTube for nearly two decades. These days, its main channel has a whopping 113 million subscribers and frequently scrapes ~1 billion views a month.
At the tail end of 2025, WWE expanded into launching individual YouTube channels for some of its top stars, starting with longtime powerhouse The Undertaker.
WWE’s overall digital strategy has been one of the most successful in sports, and has set a precedent for the org to jump into microdramas as the hottest new thing in digital content.
