South Korean content continues to dominate global viewing, but new data shows the production pipeline isn’t keeping up with demand. Ampere Analysis reports that between H1 2023 and H1 2025, global streamers cut Korean TV commissions by 43%, while local producers reduced output by 20%. Scripted commissions, the very titles that drive international interest, dropped nearly 40% over the same period.
Ampere notes that the share of non-Korean viewers regularly watching K-content grew from 22% in Q1 2020 to 35% in Q1 2025, fueled by international availability of Korean titles, which jumped 55% between 2021 and 2024.
Netflix Dominates, Others Pull Back
Among global platforms, Netflix stands apart, holding its commissioning volume steady and now accounting for 88% of all K-content SVoD commissions in H1 2025. Even so, Netflix is rebalancing toward unscripted formats, leaving scripted production under increasing pressure. Other global subscription video services have shifted toward acquisitions, opening space for Korean studios to export more widely.
Southeast Asia Shows the Pull
The gap between demand and supply is most evident in Southeast Asia. According to recent data from Media Partners Asia, the region added 1.5 million net new premium VOD subscribers in Q2 2025, nearly doubling Q1 growth. Korean dramas accounted for 35% of all viewing hours across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, outpacing local content in some markets.
Netflix remains the largest player regionally with 12.8 million subscribers, but Viu (9.9M) and iQIYI are gaining traction, often leaning on both Korean imports and local originals. Vidio dominates Indonesia with 5 million subscribers, proving that local originals paired with sports can carve out significant share. Meanwhile, Thai content is increasingly crossing borders, with both Netflix and iQIYI pushing travelability.
The Take
Demand outpaces supply: Global audiences are consuming more K-content, but scripted commissioning is slowing. That imbalance strengthens the export market for Korean producers.
Local costs are the bottleneck: Rising production expenses and inflationary pressures are squeezing local players, leaving room for Netflix’s dominance and potential new policy interventions like caps on talent fees.
Regional growth is real: Southeast Asia shows how K-content drives engagement and subscriber momentum, but local storytelling in Indonesia and Thailand is also scaling cross-border, a trend streamers can’t ignore.
