Across the 22 Ampere Consumer markets, one in five respondents indicated they watch Korean content regularly. This proportion is the highest in China and Indonesia, with neighbouring markets in East Asia and Southeast Asia most influenced by Korean culture.
In India and the Middle East, over 30% of respondents are regular K-content viewers, while the wave has further spread to North and South America, where around 20% of consumers expressed an interest in K-content.
Despite this high consumer demand, the global market for K-content is fragmented and consumers usually need to switch among different and often paid services to get access to all their preferred shows. Outside of Korea, major international SVoD platforms usually contain a small proportion of K-content, with availability varying by market.
The current unfulfilled demand for K-content raises the question for Korean broadcasters and studios as to how to best cater to their international fans. With direct-to-consumer services now being launched by nearly all the major entertainment companies and studios, entering this highly competitive market as a single Korean studio may prove challenging. However, a consortium of Korean broadcasters and studios working together could create a complete and compelling product for its international base. As OTT services (such as Amazon Channels or StarzPlay) explore offering thematic add-ons to their existing subscriptions, offering a K-content add-on could compel the currently unaddressed K-content audience to subscribe.