Anime is no longer a niche interest for Netflix. The streaming behemoth announced a significant shift in its global content strategy, revealing that more than 50% of its global members — an estimated 150 million households or 300 million viewers — now watch anime. This dramatic increase reflects a tripling of anime viewership on the platform over the past five years, solidifying the genre’s status as a global entertainment powerhouse.
At the recent Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Netflix underscored this trend, noting that anime content was streamed over 1 billion times globally in 2024 alone. To cater to this massive audience, the company now offers anime titles dubbed and with audio descriptions in up to 33 languages, acknowledging that a substantial 80 to 90% of users prefer dubbed versions. This unprecedented global access is effectively breaking down barriers, cultivating new fans across the world and providing a longer life for these stories.
New Series and Returning Favorites
Netflix is poised to capitalize on this demand with an expanded slate of upcoming anime titles. Headlining the new releases is Sakamoto Days, an action series based on the popular manga about a hitman turned family man. The first season of the show spent 10 weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list and charted in 54 countries, with new weekly episodes set to begin streaming on July 14.
Another highly anticipated return is Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, the sequel to Studio Trigger’s acclaimed 2022 dystopian series. Set in the gritty universe of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 video game, Netflix debuted a first teaser and new key art for the follow-up at Anime Expo.
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For fans of kawaii culture, Netflix will premiere My Melody & Kuromi on July 24, a stop-motion series featuring Sanrio’s beloved characters on an original adventure. Additional upcoming titles include Record of Ragnarok III, Beastars Final Season, and The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.
A Home for Every Anime Fan
Netflix emphasized the genre’s continued growth across diverse demographics and regions. Recent anime hits on the platform have spanned a wide spectrum, from action-packed series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Spy x Family to sci-fi explorations in Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, fantasy adventures such as Delicious in Dungeon, and heartwarming slice-of-life romances like My Happy Marriage and Pokémon Concierge.
The streamer highlights that Japanese content is now the world’s second most-watched non-English content category, with anime being a major driving force. In 2024 alone, 33 anime titles appeared in Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) rankings, more than double the number from 2021, underscoring the genre’s explosive growth.
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Netflix states its clear commitment to anime’s future: “It’s about connection. Wherever you are in the world, like all Netflix originals, the latest anime title launches simultaneously across the globe with dubbed audio and audio descriptions included in up to 33 languages.” They aim to be the definitive home for every kind of anime fan, from curious newcomers to lifelong superfans, ensuring titles find and grow their following globally.
