Netflix’s most-watched shows see strong presence from non-English content: Report

SEOUL – English-language shows are no longer dominating Netflix’s most-watched list, its latest biannual engagement report showed, with non-English-language titles from Britain and South Korea boasting a strong global performance.

The streaming service has released viewership data every six months for titles that surpass 50,000 hours of watch time since December 2023. The latest report, covering January to June 2025, accounts for 99 per cent of all viewing on the platform.

Non-English series made up a significant portion of the most-watched list. According to the report, 10 of the top 25 most-viewed shows in the first half of 2025 were in languages other than English.

Topping the list was British psychological crime thriller Adolescence, logging 145 million views. South Korea followed with Squid Game Season 2 and Season 3 at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, ahead of US political thriller Zero Day.

The report also highlighted other Korean titles that garnered attention: When Life Gives You Tangerines drew 35 million views, followed by the first season of The Trauma Code: Heroes On Call with 34 million, and both seasons of Weak Hero – Class 1 and Class 2 – which earned 22 million and 20 million views, respectively.

Scandinavian content also made an impression. Denmark’s Secrets We Keep logged 34 million views, Norway’s Number 24 brought in 24 million, and Sweden contributed three breakout hits: The Are Murders Season 1 (33 million), The Breakthrough (29 million) and The Glass Dome (20 million).

Colombia posted strong numbers following 2024’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (five million). The country’s latest entries include the first season of Medusa (21 million), Fake Profile: Killer Match (20 million) and Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful (13 million).

In the film category, American features took up the majority of the top 10 list. Leading the pack was action film Back in Action, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, while psychological crime drama Straw and romantic comedy The Life List rounded out the top three.

Another notable trend in Netflix viewing habits was the continued popularity of legacy Netflix originals. Nearly half of all original series viewing came from titles released in 2023 or earlier. Standouts such as Orange Is The New Black, Ozark and Money Heist each surpassed 100 million hours viewed during the first half of 2025.

On the film side, Netflix originals Red Notice, Leo, and We Can Be Heroes all logged more than 20 million views.

Anime remains a major draw for global audiences as well. New titles such as Sakamoto Days Season 1 attracted 24 million views, while legacy franchises such as Naruto amassed 45 million views across seasons. Studio Ghibli classics Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle each drew six million views.

Kids and family programming continues to thrive. Standouts include animated feature KPop Demon Hunters (37 million), Ms Rachel Season 1 (53 million), France’s Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight (16 million), and Gabby’s Dollhouse, which tallied 108 million views across seasons. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK