Netflix touted the fruits of its massive international content expansion, promising a vast slate of upcoming films and television series from across the globe.
Chief content officer Bela Bajaria, along with content executives from around the world, gathered in Los Angeles for the streamer’s first international showcase Tuesday. Along with debuting footage for major titles like “Squid Game” Season 2 from South Korea — Netflix’s most-watched series ever, returning Dec. 26, and already renewed for a third and final season — Colombia’s anticipated adaptation of “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” and more, Bajaria also celebrated how Netflix’s investment in fostering local talent and production internationally has lent to the creation of hits that resonate globally.
“It’s about trying to find the best version of every genre, rather than focusing on only one demo or sensibility,” Bajaria said during the presentation Tuesday, highlighting her approach to programming for an audience of 650 million people. “The goal is to make shows and films that resonate in their home country first.”
But these shows and films are made available to a worldwide audience via Netflix, which offers 36 different languages via dubbing along with 33 subtitle options. That accessibility is helping make the content discoverable for audiences around the world, with Bajaria noting that “more than 70% of all viewing on Netflix is either with subs or dubs.”
Bajaria added that international content is seeing growing interest even in the U.S., where audiences have traditionally opted for local content in English. She noted that 13% of hours viewed in the United States were allotted to non-English titles — with Korean, Spanish and Japanese shows and films attracting the biggest audiences. Asia-Pacific content vice president Minyoung Kim emphasized K-content as a leader for the streamer, noting that 80% of users watch that programming on Netflix.
The platform announced new programming as part of the showcase, including “Untitled Bollywood Project” (India), “Physical 100: Asia” (Korea) and new film “Bullet Train Explosion” (Japan). Netflix’s “Love is Blind” franchise also continues to expand internationally, with “Love is Blind: France.” And the hit film “Troll” from Norway will return with a sequel, “Troll 2.”
Other highlights from the event included clips from “The Leopard” (Italy), “Last Samurai Standing” (Japan), “The Empress” Season 2 (Germany), “El Refugio Atómico” (Spain), “Senna” (Brazil), “Alice in Borderland” Season 3 (Japan), and films like “Revelations” (Korea) and “Un fantasma en la Batalla” (Spain).
Bajaria and Kim were joined by Francisco Ramos, vice president of content, LATAM; Minyoung Kim, vice president of content APAC; Monika Shergill, vice president of content, India; and Larry Tanz; vice president of content, EMEA.
“Hopefully you can see the scope and ambition of what we’re doing around the world, and why we think these titles will be the next fan favorites,” Bajaria said.
