🎬 Asia-Pacific Takes the Lead in Global Streaming Content Production
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has made a major leap in the streaming industry, climbing from third straight to first place in original scripted series commissions.
According to a report by analytics firm Ampere Analysis, APAC accounted for 36% of all new scripted projects from major global services in the first half of 2026—an all-time high since tracking began.
During the first six months of 2026, the six leading international platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Paramount+) announced 70 new original series in Asia. By comparison, North America secured 46 commissions and Western Europe recorded 44 over the same period, with all other regions accounting for a combined total of 34 titles. Amazon and Netflix served as the primary drivers of this Asian boom, while their investments in traditional European and North American markets effectively plateaued.
India emerged as the region’s undisputed leader with 25 new projects, driven by the expansion of Prime Video, which has been aggressively commissioning content across multiple local languages. South Korea remains the second-largest market by volume, with Netflix maintaining its investment lead. Beyond these established heavyweights, emerging growth hubs showed impressive momentum: Taiwan ordered 9 series and the Philippines recorded 7. Netflix quadrupled its commissions in Taiwan, while Amazon ramped up operations in the Philippines by putting five new titles into production.
Genre preferences are shifting as well. While sci-fi and fantasy dominated the first half of 2025, crime dramas and thrillers made up a third of all orders in 2026, with traditional drama shows accounting for a quarter.
Ampere Analysis experts note that this dynamic reflects varying stages of maturity across Asian markets. In India, South Korea, and Japan, original content serves both audience retention and export—local hits like the Thai drama My Dear Killer and the Korean title The Great Flood demonstrate strong international distribution potential. Meanwhile, in emerging markets like the Philippines and Taiwan, commissioning local originals remains a critical driver for primary subscriber acquisition.
Source: TV Technology
