Disney+ and Netflix have invested heavily in non-English content
Disney+ and Netflix have invested heavily in non-English content
Over half of acquired content on both streamers is from non-English speaking countries.
The United States is one of the most important marketplaces in the world for streaming services to dominate, with its large customer base and relatively high income level compared with other parts of the world. But the U.S. isn’t the only valuable territory for streamers like Disney+ and Netflix, and new data from Ampere Analysis shows that both streamers have taken major steps to ensure their appeal to global audiences — especially in the proportion of non-English content on both services.
Key Details:
- Over half: More than 50% of acquired titles on Netflix and Disney+ are from non-English-speaking countries.
- From all over: Japan, South Korea, and Germany are the most common source countries for this content.
- Room for more: The data shows a healthy appetite for non-English content that’s receiving limited distribution.
The data from Ampere shows that 65% of acquired titles on Netflix and 50% of such titles on Disney+ originated from countries that don’t feature English as their primary spoken language as of September 2026. More than one-third of acquired titles on HBO Max and Prime Video are also from non-English territories.
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Zooming in, Netflix most frequently sourced its non-English titles from Japan and South Korea, while Germany and Japan topped the list for Disney+. Despite the data, Ampere’s numbers show there is even more room for expansion for content from these countries; only 40% of Japanese video-on-demand content is currently available internationally, and most of its most popular titles around the globe are anime.
Only 55% of Korean on-demand titles are available outside the country, and the number falls to just 30% of content from Turkey. French content, on the other hand, is now well-represented around the world, with 76% of the country’s titles available overseas.
The data shows that streamers like Prime Video and Paramount+ have more room to add international titles if they choose to. Prime Video especially seems to be a likely candidate to add even more international fare; the streamer has been amping up releases of Korean titles lately, with the series premiere of “Love in Disguise” streaming on the service on Oct. 19.
“Non-English content remains underexploited despite growing global demand,” Ampere research manager Tingting Li said. “In recent years, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Disney+ have increasingly expanded non-English-language title licensing in multiple markets. Japanese, South Korean, French and Turkish content present the top opportunities for international licensing, with strong audience appeal but still gaps in cross-
border availability. For content owners and platforms, buying this content can bridge the gap between audience demand and international distribution.”
As domestic growth for streaming services continues to stagnate, and profits are generally only found through major sports rights and price increases, more and more streamers will likely turn their focus to additional international markets in efforts to expand their subscriber base. While it is unlikely that this attention globally will dramatically impact output in the United States, it will undoubtedly have an impact on the number of original titles launching stateside moving forward.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.