Netflix doubled down on its global anime strategy over the weekend, unveiling a slate of new titles and fresh footage during its showcase at Anime Expo in Los Angeles. The company also shared updated viewership data highlighting just how far Japanese anime has come in expanding from its former niche into a powerhouse global content category.Â
According to Netflix, more than 50 percent of its members — amounting to over 150 million households, or an estimated 300 million viewers — now watch anime. The company says anime viewership on the platform has tripled over the past five years, with 2024 marking a record-breaking year: 33 anime titles appeared in Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) rankings, more than double the number in 2021.
The streamer also revealed that anime content was viewed over 1 billion times globally in 2024, and that 80 to 90 percent of users opt to watch anime dubbed. To capitalize on the demand, Netflix has begun offering anime titles with dubbed audio and descriptions in up to 33 languages.
Leading the streamer’s upcoming slate is Sakamoto Days, the hitman-turned-family-man action series based on the popular manga. The first season of the title spent 10 weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10 and charted in 54 countries, including Japan, Korea, France, and Argentina. New weekly episodes will begin streaming on July 14.
Another high-profile release is Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a sequel to the acclaimed 2022 dystopian series from Studio Trigger, set in the gritty universe of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 video game. At Anime Expo, Netflix debuted a first teaser and new key art for the follow-up.
My Melody & Kuromi
For global fans of kawaii culture, Netflix will premiere My Melody & Kuromi on July 24. The stop-motion series brings Sanrio’s beloved characters into an original adventure where they must save their homeland, Mariland, from a looming threat.
Additional upcoming anime titles teased at Anime Expo included Record of Ragnarok III, Beastars Final Season and The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity. Netflix emphasized the genre’s continued growth across demographics and regions, noting that recent anime hits have spanned action (Jujutsu Kaisen, SPY x FAMILY), sci-fi (Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance), fantasy (Delicious in Dungeon), and slice-of-life romance (My Happy Marriage, Pokémon Concierge).
