Netflix's big bet on Korean shows makes so much sense now that we've seen the numbers
- Netflix released a first-of-its-kind report showing viewership hours for titles in the first half of 2023.
- Korean-language series like "The Glory" and "Physical: 100" were massive hits on the platform.
In "The Glory," Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) has a singular focus: exacting revenge on the now-influential adults who violently bullied her as a student.
The simmering Korean-language drama is a slow-burn, building up the tension until it's borderline unbearable as Dong-eun bares her pain and exacts painstakingly laid plans. It makes for great television — and it turns out Netflix viewers agree, because the show's first season was the third most-watched television series on the platform from January to June 2023.
On Tuesday, Netflix made an unprecedented move by dumping a spreadsheet of over 18,000 Netflix titles and how many hours they were each viewed in the first half of 2023. As Business Insider's Nathan McAlone wrote, it was a power move — and though mostly devoid of context, provided insight into what actually performs on the platform past the streamer's top 10 lists.
Among the thousands of titles, Korean entertainment was a major standout. After "The Glory," the first season of reality competition series "Physical: 100" clocked in at No. 15 with 235,000,000 hours watched. "Crash Course in Romance," a limited series, followed at No. 16 with 234,800,000 hours watched. And "Doctor Cha," another limited series, was at No. 25 with 197,700,000 hours. In fact, there were eight Korean-language series in the top 50 titles, and 16 within the top 100.
The numbers illustrate in stark detail the rationale of Netflix's $2.5 billion investment in Korean content over the next four years: Beyond mega hits like "Squid Game," now a crucial jewel in Netflix's display case of IP, Korean series have the potential to resonate globally, drawing viewership time on par with some of Netflix's biggest English-language titles.
And it's not just gripping dramas or romance series that are crossing borders — reality competition shows like "Physical: 100" are performing extremely well abroad as well. And while Netflix originals make up the bulk of the top Korean titles, licensed series like "Mr. Queen" pulled in plenty of viewership on the platform as well.
Amid the boom of Korean programming, local writers and actors are feeling exploited by Netflix
But as The Los Angeles Times reported, Korean writers, actors, and producers have thoughts about how Netflix has completely transformed the local entertainment industry — and how well they're being compensated amid a global boom of Korean content.
Korean actors want better compensation — namely, residuals on par with United States actors under SAG-AFTRA, per the LA Times. And writers and crews are feeling the labor pressure of being a place where Netflix can make content relatively on the cheap, according to another LA Times report.
Netflix isn't required to bargain with South Korean unions under the law because of the way it outsources production in South Korea, and in a statement to the LA Times in August, the company said that it follows local laws and isn't required to pay residuals.
Ultimately, Netflix has much to gain — and has apparently already gained a great deal, based on its own viewership report — by investing in Korean content that global subscribers are clearly eating up. But the numbers also underscore local workers' labor concerns — and what Netflix could stand to lose without them.