Success of KPop Demon Hunters brings into question Netflix’s pullback on kids’ content, claims Ampere Analysis

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Global streamer Netflix reduced commissions for kids’ content between 2024 and 2025, even as its animation sensation KPop Demon Hunters surpassed one billion views, according to Ampere Analysis.

New research from the UK data firm shows that content aimed at children and families accounted for just 4% of the platform’s total commissions during those two years, down from 9% between 2022 and 2023.

That slump reflects a broader streaming trend, with SVoD services having the lowest share of scripted kids’ greenlights of any type of commissioner. Globally, they accounted for just 13% of children’s content orders during 2025, versus 47% for public broadcasters.

Ampere puts that strategy down to the popularity of YouTube among young audiences as well as an increased reliance on ad-supported tiers, where monetising children’s content is complex.

However, Ampere questioned whether the pullback on kids’ content at Netflix will continue after the record-breaking success of KPop Demon Hunters.

The animated musical fantasy film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, is now the most watched film of all time on Netflix, surpassing one billion viewing hours. Debuting in June of last year, it has been in the streamer’s top 10 movie charts for 44 consecutive weeks.

Ampere said it is one of the few times that a streaming original film has broken into a space generally dominated by major studios such as Disney and NBCUniversal.

Statistics from the data firm show that hit family-friendly titles have longer viewing lifecycles. By way of example, KPop Demon Hunters reached peak viewing 11 weeks after release, while other original films tend to peak in the first couple of weeks and then fade away.

Kids’ content also remains a key subscription driver, with 35% of households with children more likely to sign up to platforms that offer TV shows and movies their kids enjoy.

Joe Hall, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “[KPop Demon Hunters’] musical core extended its reach beyond the platform and encouraged repeat viewing. Its themes, grounded in the global Korean cultural wave, helped build a highly engaged international fan base.

“With a sequel already announced, KPop Demon Hunters shows there is still a lot of value in developing Original IP that appeals across age demographics.”