Korean content still in-demand, but will viewers see less of it?
Korean content still in-demand, but will viewers see less of it?
New data from Ampere Analysis shows that people are still loving scripted Korean shows, but that commissions for those titles are falling.
Have you binged “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” on Netflix or “While You Were Sleeping” on Hulu recently? If so, you’re not alone. Korean scripted titles are a very popular global genre, but a new study from Ampere Analysis shows that fans of this category may have fewer titles to enjoy in the future thanks to shifting tactics at top streaming services.
Key Details:
- Demand still strong: Viewership of South Korean TV shows or movies continues to rise.
- Consistent growth: The number of Korean titles on international streamers has risen steadily since 2021.
- Supply chain issues?: Commissions of South Korean shows have fallen 20% between 2023 and 2025.
The data from Ampere shows that audience sizes for Korean titles have continually augmented in recent years. The number of viewers outside Korea who say they watch South Korean TV shows or movies “sometimes” or “very often” jumped from 22% in the first quarter of 2020 to 35% in the first quarter of 2025.
In the intervening years, supply for South Korean titles rose at a rate commensurate with demand. In 2021, for example, Ampere measured 6,292 distinct South Korean titles on international subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming services. Still, by 2024 the number had risen to 9,739 — a marked increase of nearly 3,500 titles.
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Unfortunately for fans of Korean shows and movies, commissioning for such titles has fallen sharply. Between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2025, commissions have fallen 20%. The pullback from global streaming services has been even more pronounced; commissions of Korean titles by international streamers has fallen 43% in that time frame. Local productions have been cut back by 20%.
Scripted TV series commissions have taken the biggest hit. These types of shows have seen their commissions drop by 39% between H1 2023 and H1 2025, but there is one silver lining. Netflix is continuing to maintain its volume of commissions of these type of shows, but even it is shifting its production focus more to unscripted titles, which are usually much cheaper to make.
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“Korean content has leapt onto the international stage, reaching worldwide success with both global SVoD Originals and local titles,” Ampere analyst Mariana Enriquez Denton Bustinza said. “However, despite continued demand for K-content, TV show commissions from local and global players have declined, with global SVoDs changing content strategies from scripted Originals to focus on acquisitions, and in Netflix’s case, producing a higher proportion of Unscripted titles. Despite struggling with inflated costs, this leaves the export market open for South Korean commissioners, especially now that Netflix is reportedly considering the introduction of caps on actors’ fees, which may lead to a more accessible and reinvigorated local production landscape.”
Are you disappointed by the news that you could be seeing fewer Korean titles on your favorite streaming service in the near future? Sound off in the comments about which shows are your favorite.
Netflix
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