Korean, Spanish, Japanese… why content in languages ​​other than English appeals to Netflix subscribers ?

La troisième partie de la série “Lupin” avec l'acteur français Omar Sy a été diffusée en octobre 2023 sur Netflix. Courtesy of Netflix

Whether Korean, Spanish or Japanese, series, programs and films shot in a language other than English work very well on Netflix. According to the streaming giant, this content represented a third of all views on the platform in the second half of 2023.

Between July and December 2023, Netflix subscribers watched 90 billion hours of programming on the platform. This is according to Netflix's latest report 'What We Watched the Second Half of 2023'. In total, viewers spent 183 billion hours on Netflix in 2023.

The importance of non-English content

Among the biggest hits of the year, the American giant highlighted the importance of non-English content. Series and films filmed in a language other than that of Shakespeare have won over the public, capturing almost a third of viewings.

These programs are in pole position among the most popular programs on the platform. The film "Nowhere" established itself as the third most popular non-English language film on the platform with 86 million views. Albert Pintó's Iberian thriller demonstrates the popularity of Spanish-language content on the platform. According to the report, these represent 7% of viewings, less than content in Korean (9%), but more than productions in Japanese (5%).

France is not left out since the first three parts of the "Lupin" with Omar Sy generated nearly 100 million views between July and December 2023.

In the rest of the world, some programs stood out like "Dear little one" from Germany (53 million views), "The cure for forgetting" (43 million, Poland), "Pact of Silence" (21 million, Mexico), "Mask Girl" (19 million, Korea), "Yu Yu Hakusho" (17 million, Japan), "Berlin" (11 million, Spain), and "The Railway Men: The Heroes of Bhopal" (11 million, India).