Squid Game 2 Tops Netflix’s Non-English Viewership in 2024

Korean content continues to dominate the global streaming space, with Netflix reporting that K-dramas and K-movies topped its non-English viewership charts throughout 2024. The streaming giant, which has heavily invested in its Korean catalog, saw a surge in subscribers, further solidifying K-content’s influence worldwide.

Netflix Releases 2024 Viewership Report

According to Netflix’s official viewership report released on February 27, Korean titles ranked first in non-English content consumption for the 2023-2024 period. The report analyzed subscriber viewership based on total watch time and number of views for productions that surpassed 50,000 hours of watch time within six months. Notably, this builds upon Netflix’s 2023 data, which revealed that 80% of its subscribers were engaged with K-content.

Squid Game 2 Leads the Pack

A significant boost in viewership came from Squid Game Season 2, which capitalized on the global success of its predecessor. Despite premiering on December 24—just six days before the end of the year—the survival thriller amassed an impressive 87 million views, making it the most-watched series in the second half of 2024.

Other Korean productions that made a mark include the action-packed films Officer Black Belt (40 million views), Uprising (24 million), and Mission: Cross (23 million). On the drama front, Love Next Door garnered 20 million views, while Culinary Class War reached 17 million viewers.

Netflix’s Statement on Korean Content’s Global Success

Recognizing the remarkable achievement, Netflix stated, “K-content has topped non-English content viewership for two years in a row. We will continue to challenge ourselves with new genres and themes and collaborate with various partners to expand globally.”

Global Trends in Non-English Content

Netflix’s non-English category saw substantial contributions from several countries besides South Korea. Content from Japan, France, Colombia, and Brazil collectively accounted for one-third of total views. The platform’s investment in localized productions appears to be paying off, with total viewing hours reaching 94 billion—an increase of 5% compared to 2023. The data factored in K-dramas, Korean films, and variety shows across multiple genres.