Squid Game helps Korea dominate global streaming audiences

South Korean content generated 12.1 billion hours of viewing on Netflix worldwide between April 2025 and March 2026, making it the most-watched content origin outside the United States, according to new analysis from Omdia and Digital i. 

The findings underline South Korea’s growing influence within the global entertainment industry and demonstrate the increasing international appeal of Korean films and television series.

According to the analysis, South Korean content attracted 44 per cent more viewing than Japanese content during the period under review.

The study also found that Korean productions generated almost twice as much viewing as content from the United Kingdom, highlighting the scale of the country’s success on the world’s largest streaming platform.

Major international hits including Squid Game, The Great Flood and When Life Gives You Tangerines played a significant role in driving viewing figures and helping South Korea outperform other major content-exporting markets such as Japan, the United Kingdom and Spain.

“South Korea has established itself as the leading source of globally successful content outside the United States,” said Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at Omdia.

“Generating 12.1 billion hours of Netflix viewing in a single year demonstrates the scale of international demand for Korean productions and highlights the growing importance within the global content industry,” she added.

The report said South Korea’s achievements reflect a broader transformation in the entertainment sector, where audiences are increasingly willing to watch stories regardless of language, culture or geography.

“The streaming era has changed the rules of global entertainment,” Rua Aguete said.

“Great stories can now travel instantly across borders, and South Korea has been one of the most successful examples of how strong storytelling, production quality and distribution can combine to build global audiences,” she added.

Rua Aguete also stressed the strategic value of South Korea’s content ecosystem, pointing to a combination of world-class creators, strong intellectual property portfolios, innovative production methods and expanding international distribution networks.

“What began with a small number of breakout global hits such as Squid Game has evolved into a sustainable content ecosystem capable of delivering international success across multiple genres,” Rua Aguete said.

“That consistency is helping Korea strengthen its position in the global streaming market,” she added.

The analysis showed that South Korean content ranked second only to content from the United States among all content origins available on Netflix.

It also confirmed South Korea’s position as the world’s leading source of content outside the United States on Netflix, a status achieved through sustained audience demand across multiple genres and international markets.

The viewing estimates were compiled by Digital i using data from 17 markets, including the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Nordic countries, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland.

The findings suggest that South Korea’s entertainment industry has moved beyond isolated global successes and has developed into a consistent exporter of content capable of attracting audiences around the world on a large scale.