K-pop Rises as Global Content Powerhouse···“KPop Demon Hunters” Becomes the Most Streamed Film of 2025

K-pop is leading the global entertainment market beyond music into video content. Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” was recorded as the most streamed film of 2025, reaffirming the worldwide prominence of K-pop culture.

“KPop Demon Hunters” achieved 20.5 billion minutes of viewing time solely in the United States. Converted to the film’s 99-minute runtime, this equates to approximately 2.07 million showings. Despite being released in mid-June, this Sony Pictures Animation production remained in the top rankings until the end of the year. The fact that 48% of viewers were children aged 2 to 11 demonstrates that K-pop content enjoys popularity across all age groups.

The film’s theme song “Golden” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 8 weeks and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. “KPop Demon Hunters” held the title of the most watched film for 6 months, recording 4.82 million views.

According to the 2025 country-specific consumption report by K-pop market analysis platform “K-Pop Radar,” South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia retained positions 1 through 3. The United States rose from 5th place in the previous year to 4th, accounting for 6.25% of global K-pop consumption. This indicates that localization strategies and global collaborations are yielding tangible results.

Diversification in K-pop consumption by country is also evident. Taiwan entered the top 10 for the second consecutive year by rising in rankings, while the United Kingdom surged from outside the top 20 to 17th place. The simultaneous entry of Western countries such as France, Germany, and Canada shows that the K-pop market is expanding into a phase of global diversification.

The growth of fanbases for new idol groups is also notable. The idol group CORTIS, which made its Debut in August, topped the K-Pop Radar Weekly Fanbase Chart for 3 consecutive weeks with its debut song “FaSHioN.” During the second week of December’s tracking period, its music video reached 2.53 million views, and its Spotify followers increased by 155,000. This figure is approximately 65 times higher than the average increase of 2,400 followers for K-pop artists.

K-pop’s global expansion overlaps with the continued influence of established powerhouses. In the domestic market in 2025, DAY6 rose to 1st place, while legendary artists such as G-Dragon and BIGBANG also demonstrated strong appeal. In the United States, Stray Kids maintained 1st place with a 8.63% share, while in the United Kingdom, Rosé led with an overwhelming 11.63% share. These results signify that K-pop has established itself as a global cultural phenomenon beyond being merely a music genre.