LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 18, 2026--
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 of the United States, according to new analysis from Omdia and Digital i revealed at the International Streaming Summit (OTT·FAST) 2026 in Busan this week.
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The analysis found that South Korean content generated 44% more viewing than Japanese content and nearly twice as much viewing as content from the United Kingdom, highlighting the country’s growing influence on global streaming audiences.
Global hits like Squid Game, Daehongsu (The Great Flood) and Pokssak Sog-atsuda (When Life Gives You Tangerines) contributed to South Korean content outperforming other major content-exporting markets including 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 & 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.”
Korea’s success reflects a broader shift in the global entertainment industry, where audiences increasingly embrace stories regardless of language or geography.
“The streaming era has changed the rules of global entertainment. 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,” said Rua Aguete.
She also emphasized the strategic importance of Korea’s content ecosystem, which combines world-class creators, strong intellectual property, innovative production techniques and growing international distribution capabilities.
“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,” said Rua Aguete. “That consistency is helping Korea strengthen its position in the global streaming market.”
Key Findings
* South Korean content generated 12.1 billion hours of Netflix viewing globally from April 2025 to March 2026.
* South Korean content ranked second only to the United States among content origins on Netflix.
* Korean content generated 44% more viewing than Japanese content.
* Korean content generated almost twice as much viewing as UK content.
* South Korea is the world’s leading content source outside the US on Netflix.
Note: Digital i estimates Netflix viewing in 17 countries: US, Canada; Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico; Australia, Japan, South Korea; Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Poland
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Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, make our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.
Top countries of origin Netflix - all countries, April 2025 - March 2026
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Qantas Airways plans to launch the world’s longest direct flight next year, a service of up to 22 hours nonstop between London and Sydney.
The Sydney-based airline on Thursday unveiled the first of its specially-modified Airbus A350-1000 jets that will regularly make the 17,015-kilometer (10,573-mile) journey from October next year. The flights between cities on opposite sides of the world are expected to take between 19 and 22 hours.
The current longest regularly scheduled direct flight is Singapore Airlines’ route between its city-state base and New York City. The distance of 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles) is flown in under 19 hours.
A significant difference in passenger comfort between the airlines is that Singapore’s Flight SQ24 doesn’t fly economy passengers.
While a standard Airbus A350-1000 can carry up to 480 passengers, Qantas ’ customized version A350-1000ULR will carry only 238, with 140 of those in what is colloquially termed “cattle class” on flights between London and Sydney.
The farthest an economy passenger can currently fly on a direct flight in the world is with Qantas between London and Perth on Australia’s west coast. That’s a distance of 14,499 kilometers (9,009 miles) flown 16 and 18 hours. Sydney is on Australia’s east coast.
Sharon Petersen, chief executive officer of AirlineRatings, an Australia-based website that ranks airlines around the world on their products and safety, said Qantas economy seats between London and Sydney would have more leg room than most long haul airlines.
Economy passengers would also have access to a so-called Wellbeing Zone between economy and premium economy cabins where they could stretch their limbs and help themselves to drinks and snacks.
Qantas has said passengers will pay more for direct flights when tickets go on sale in February than they do for flights that make a stop in Singapore. Qantas says the direct flights will save up to four hours of travel time.
Petersen said flying business class direct was a great option for passengers who could potentially sleep for eight hours without the interruption of disembarking at Singapore.
But she would prefer to break up the journey than fly 22 hours in economy.
“The reason for that is 22 hours is really daunting. If you get sat next to someone who’s smelly, is perhaps really unwell and coughing, perhaps there’s a baby sitting next to you that’s having an uncomfortable flight or an oversized passenger who really needs two seats,” Petersen said.
She regards two shorter flights as a safer option in economy.
“If you’ve got it wrong on one flight, you might be okay on the next. You get a break,” she said.
Petersen said the smaller passenger configuration of Qantas’ A350-1000ULR was to enhance comfort and to compensate for an additional tank carrying 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of fuel.
Such long haul flights rely on premium passengers to make profits, she said.
“Because the flight is so long, they can’t rely on cargo because of the weight. So it really is a passenger-heavy aircraft and a premium passenger-heavy aircraft at that to get the profit margin,” Petersen said.
Once the Sydney-London direct route was established, Qantas said its next ultralong-haul direct service will be Sydney-New York, a shorter distance of 16,013 kilometers (9,950 miles).
FILE - A Qantas plane flies over Sydney, on Jan. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - A Qantas plane prepares to land at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
