Japan has become the leading non-US franchise contributor to Netflix’s North American catalogue, according to new data from Ampere Analysis. Between Q2 2022 and Q2 2025, the share of Japanese franchises among all non-US franchise titles on the platform increased from 13% to 29%. This shift highlights the growing influence of Japanese content—particularly Anime and Dramas—on Western streaming habits, displacing the UK as the top international franchise source.
The surge in Japanese content consumption is part of a broader strategic pivot by Netflix, which now invests over 50% of its total content spend outside North America. Many of these international investments are directed toward acquiring and producing franchise-based content that offers long-term viewer engagement through multi-season arcs, extended story universes, and globally recognized IP. According to Ampere’s analysis, Japanese franchises such as “One Piece,” “Naruto,” “Demon Slayer,” and “Dandadan” have become core assets for Netflix, offering not just viewership spikes but the type of sustained fan engagement that powers merchandise sales, spin-offs, and retention strategies.
Consumer behavior supports this shift. Netflix reported over 1 billion views for Anime content in 2024 alone. Ampere’s consumer research found that 29% of North American viewers enjoy Anime, rising to 39% among viewers aged 18–34, a key segment for Netflix’s ad-supported tier. This young, digitally engaged audience is central to Netflix’s monetization strategy, making the genre not just culturally relevant but commercially vital.
The rise of Japanese franchises has coincided with a noticeable drop in UK-originated franchises on the platform. Once the leading non-US contributor, UK franchises have seen their share fall from 26% in 2022 to just 17% in 2025. This reflects an evolving viewer appetite for more diverse and non-Western content, as audiences increasingly gravitate toward international storytelling styles and culturally distinct genres.
Moreover, the supply side of Japanese IP remains robust. Many Japanese Dramas and Anime titles with strong domestic followings have yet to secure international licensing deals, giving global streamers like Netflix significant room to expand their Japanese offerings. As demand grows, rights holders in Japan are in a strong position to negotiate high-value, multi-territory deals, capitalizing on the international appeal of their content.
With global streamers locked in a battle to reduce churn and maximize lifetime viewer value, franchises have become essential. As Ampere notes, they are more than just episodic entertainment—they are loyalty machines. Japan’s ascendancy in Netflix’s North American content mix marks a critical evolution in franchise strategy, as the platform looks beyond traditional Western content strongholds and doubles down on globally resonant, repeatable IP.
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