Analysis finds both streamers acquire at least 50% of shows from non-English-speaking countries
At least half of Disney+ and Netflix show acquisitions are from non-English-speaking countries, newly released research has found.
Ampere Analysis has found that 65% of acquired titles on Netflix and 50% on Disney+ are from such countries, with Japan and South Korea the leading source territories for the world’s biggest streamer’s non-English acquisitions.
Germany and Japan topped the list for Disney+’s acquired titles, which are defined as shows licensed in at least one market, excluding original and in-house content.
Amazon Prime Video’s equivalent figure stood at 44%, with HBO Max at 34% and Paramount+ acquiring just 14% of its shows from non-English-speaking markets.
The UK-based analyst firm said the research underlined the potential of further international licensing opportunities for Japanese, Turkish, South Korean and French content, with title popularity compared against availability across markets.
Only 40% of Japanese and 30% of Turkish VoD content is distributed beyond its home market, while 45% of South Korean content remains available only domestically.
By comparison, only 5% of English-language content is exclusive to its country of origin.
Japanese content in particular has substantial scope for wider distribution, with science fiction and fantasy genres currently leading exports. Anime accounts for two-thirds of Japan’s 100 most internationally portable titles in 2026.
While the US and South Korea are established destinations, France and Germany combine relatively high popularity with limited imports.
Romance leads South Korean exports, followed by science fiction and fantasy, with the Middle East and Southeast Asia offer further licensing opportunities, Ampere said.
Just 30% of Turkish content is distributed internationally, representing fewer than 1,000 titles, with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt priority markets for further distribution.
Tingting Li, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “Non-English content remains underexploited despite growing global demand. 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.”
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