Netflix Australia Audiences Boom, But Local Content’s Not Why – Report

Netflix might be the most popular streamer in Australia, but that doesn’t mean subscribers are tuning in for local content.

According to analytics firm Digital i, a whopping 96.4% of Netflix viewing time was spent on non-local content during 2025, a marked difference to other core Asia-Pacific markets for the streamer. U.S. films and TV programs were much preferred, the report showed.

Within the top ten most-watched shows, only See-Saw Films’ Apple Cider Vinegar hailed from Australia, with the UK’s Adolescence, American movie Happy Gilmore 2 and U.S. series Wednesday, Stranger Things and Untamed comprising the top five.

The lack of local viewing doesn’t appear to be much of an issue for Netflix’s local growth, however. Digital i Senior Analyst Elana Mozzato noted the country displayed high series completion rates for most the most popular titles, especially U.S. imports. There was also a propensity for Korean wave shows. Most measurement companies place Netflix top of subscriber charts and most viewing metrics.

Netflix’s local content numbers are considerably different in two other major APAC territories, Japan and Korea, with the proportion of viewing being 57% and 63.9%, respectively.

In Japan, the top five most-viewed titles were Bullet Train Explosion, The Apothecary Diaries, Last Samurai Standing and The Hot Spot, with Korea’s Squid Game rounding it out in fourth. In Korea, the list comprised When Life Gives You Tangerines, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Squid Game and Genie, Make a Wish, with Korean-influenced U.S. movie Kpop Demon Hunters in at number three.

The report also noted that 10 billion hours of Korean content had been consumed last year, measuring a host of major European countries, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Japan. Of that 15% was for survival drama Squid Game. Japanese content totalled 7.3 billion hours and Australia content just 1.3 billion hours.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s push into ad-supported streaming has been successful in APAC. A majority of accounts in Korea and Japan are now using the local ad tier, with just under a third going the same route in Australia.

Digital i measures consumer viewing in 20 markets across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, using a panel-based data collection that allows it to view entire viewing histories at an account level.