The highly renowned streaming platform, Netflix, has hit a major milestone with a staggering 50% of its global subscribers now wildly engaging with its various anime content. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this major increase translates to staggering 150 million to over 300 million household, marking a threefold increase in viewership over the past five years. It was reported that 80- 90 percent of users prefer watching anime dubbed, in which Netflix offers viewers audio and description in 33 languages.
Anime back in the day was just a niche fascination, but now has become a mainstream powerhouse. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this exponential growth underscores anime’s undeniable shift from a cult following to a mainstream entertainment powerhouse. The streaming giant revealed this groundbreaking data at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, where it also showcased an ambitious expanded slate of upcoming titles.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix’s series of upcoming releases is lead by Sakamoto Days, which follows the journey of ex-hitman turned family man, which has spent weeks on the Netflix’s Global Top 10 list. Additionally, other releases by the company include Beastars Final Season and Record of Ragnarok III. It was noted that anime content has spanned across numerous different genres ranging from fantasy such as Delicious in Dungeon or Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End, to slice of life titles such as My Happy Marriage or Pokemon Concierge.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, other titles that will be premiering will be My Melody & Kuromi. This stop-motion series will bring Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty to life. We will also receive Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a sequel from the 2022 series, which will focus on new characters in the iconic dystopian sci-fi world, Nighty City, with a new teaser and key art released for it. As Netflix continues to grow its content offerings, anime will establish itself as a major force in global entertainment.