Ampere Analysis reveals Korean content dominates one Netflix global streaming charts, led by ‘Squid Game: Season 2’— 620 million stream hours in late 2024.
Just like most Korean products, South Korean content also continues to dominate Netflix’s global viewership. Korean dramas and films account for 8%–9% of total viewing hours—second only to U.S. content on Netflix. According to a recent Ampere Analysis report, 17% of the platform’s top 500 non-U.S. titles originate from South Korea, highlighting the country’s significant impact on the streaming landscape.
What’s taking up the content dominance?
Leading this huge viewership of Korean content is “Squid Game: Season 2”. It has nearly 620 million streaming hours in the last days of 2024 upon its release. It became Netflix’s most-watched program for that period.
The success of the show boosted viewership for other Korean entertainment titles, including the romance drama “Love Next Door: Season 1” and the cooking reality show “Culinary Class Wars: Season 1”. Korean drama hits like “Crash Landing on You” and “Squid Game” Season 1 also keep the viewership high, even though they are old releases.
Viewers watched Korean content on Netflix for 7.7 billion hours in second half of 2024. Usually, Korean content accounts for 8%-9% of viewing hours on Netflix consistently. Despite other regional content releasing mega hits, it remains more than 7%-8% viewing time of UK content. Relatively, Japanese content viewing hours are in 4%-5% range even with all the popular anime releases.
Netflix’ smart business move
One can clearly see that Netflix is strategically investing in Korean content. More than half of the top 100 Korean titles on the streaming platform are originals and 31% exclusive to Netflix.
Additionally, the company has committed $2.5 billion to Korean content from 2024 to 2028. To offer exciting content, Netflix is partnering with local broadcasters like CJ ENM, JTBC, KBS, SBS, and MBC.
One of the largest local media conglomerate in South Korea, CJ ENM, is planning to invest $818 million in content for 2025. This investment will leverage Netflix’s global reach and explore international partnerships with studios, taking the Korean content global. This collaboration reflects the broader Hallyu phenomenon, as Korean culture continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
According to a research manager at Ampere Analysis, Orina Zhao, “Ampere’s analysis of Netflix viewing data confirms that South Korean content is now consistently among the most widely exported and consumed content globally.”
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