Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
Anime series have emerged as massive hits for the American streaming platform and have resonated globally. 'Sakamoto Days,' which is about a retired legendary hitman, was on Netflix's global top 10 list for weeks, and 'Baki Hanma' and 'Pokemon Concierge' were also popular on the service.
'Anime is no longer niche. It's mainstream,' Netflix said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that more than half of its global users watch anime.
'Anime is a uniquely powerful medium. It's emotional, bold, and boundless in its imagination. At Netflix, we're committed to giving this genre the global stage it deserves. That means partnering with Japan's best creators, investing across formats, and helping every title — from exclusive new IP to beloved legacy series — find and grow its following,' it said.
In 2024, anime was viewed over 1 billion times on Netflix, with viewer numbers tripling over the past five years, according to the streamer. It offers dubbed audio and subtitles in up to 33 languages in a bid to broaden viewership. Around 80% to 90% of its subscribers watch dubbed anime.
Netflix's revenue grew 12.5% in the first quarter of 2025, according to the company, which hiked its prices at the start of the year. Strong programming has been credited as a driver of subscriber loyalty. The company forecast somewhere between $43.5 billion and $44.5 billion in sales for the year, up from $39 billion last year.
Fierce competitors such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video have also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogues.
Jennifer Salke, then-head of Amazon MGM Studios, told Variety in March that the company was committed to developing its anime offerings for Amazon Prime Video.
Similarly, Disney+'s Takuto Yawata, the company's head of Japanese animation, said in an interview last year that anime was entering a golden age and netting a global audience for the streamer.
But at present, Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for viewers of anime. A recently released 2025 Dentsu report on the global anime market put it ahead of its competitors.
Some 48% of 8,600 consumers across 10 countries chose Netflix to subscribe for anime content, followed by 32% for Disney+ and 29% for Amazon Prime Video, the report said.
Interest in Japanese culture is one of the drivers behind this viewership boom, along with fatigue of Hollywood intellectual properties, according to the Dentsu research, which found that viewers in Asia represented the highest numbers.
Three in 10 global consumers watch anime at least once a week. Asia-Pacific is the region where anime is viewed the most, but even in the U.S., 1 in 3 consumers watch anime weekly, the report said.
Additionally, megahit shows such as Netflix's 'One Piece' series don't simply translate to subscriber satisfaction, they offer valuable treasure troves of IP, increasingly harnessed by companies from Uniqlo to Lego .
Dentsu research found that anime watchers were more likely to buy related merchandise than other viewers.
'A significant share of viewers say that their opinion of a brand improves when anime IP is incorporated in products and promotions,' the Dentsu report said.
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