LONDON—As streaming platforms look to international markets for growth, a new analysis from Omdia indicates that Korean and Spanish series are playing a central role in these efforts, with shows in those languages emerging as the top non-English language content on Netflix.

Omdia's analysis “'What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report' for 1H 2024 found that Korean shows now account for 8.71% of all non-English language content consumption on the platform, with Spanish-language content following closely at 7.11%. This popularity represents an astonishing 8.19 billion viewing hours for Korean content and 6.69 billion hours for shows in Spanish, with 3.28 billion of those viewing hours coming from Spain.

Spanish-language viewing hours amounted to more than double the combined viewing hours of French, German and Portuguese content altogether. These figures underscore the growing global appetite for non-English original content, the researchers said.

"Netflix has played a significant role in expanding the appetite for diverse content," noted Maria Rua Aguete, senior director of media and entertainment at Omdia. "In particular, Spanish content has gained worldwide popularity and is now associated with quality and engaging storytelling. Thanks to this shift and shows like “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”) and more recently the film “Society of the Snow” (“La Sociedad de la Nieve”), Spanish content is now reaching international audiences on an exceptional scale. It is successful globally and not only in Spanish-speaking countries.”

Additionally, Omdia's analysis found titles from Spain were the most popular Spanish-language content on Netflix, accounting for 49% of the platform's Spanish-language offerings. Following Spain was Colombia, which contributes 19%, and Mexico, which provides 18% of Spanish-language content.

Among the top 10 most popular Spanish-language titles on Netflix, seven were from Spain, while three were Colombian:

• Berlin: Season 1 // Berlín: Temporada 1
• Society of the Snow // La sociedad de la nieve
• The Asunta Case: Limited Series // El caso Asunta: Miniserie
• Raising Voices: Season 1 // Ni una más: Temporada 1
• Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal: Season 1 (Colombia)
• Wrong Side of the Tracks: Season 3 // Entrevías: Temporada 3
• Iron Reign: Season 1 // Mano de hierro: Temporada 1
• Pasión de Gavilanes: Season 1 (Colombia)
• Money Heist: Part 1 // La casa de papel: Parte 1
• Café con aroma de mujer: Season 1 (Colombia)

These insights highlight the global appetite for non-English content and how streaming platforms like Netflix are expanding their international content catalogs to align with audience preferences. Spain and South Korea have emerged as key content hubs, with Netflix investing heavily in original productions from both these countries, the study concluded.

LOS ANGELES AND WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Registration is now open for the SMPTE 2018 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, Oct. 23–25, as well as the SMPTE 2018 Symposium on Oct. 22 — both at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles.

“With our shift to a more expansive downtown location, we’re able to offer more of what makes our annual conference unique and valuable,” said SMPTE Executive Director Barbara Lange.

The SMPTE technical conference will offer sessions on:

• Ultra-High Definition (UHD);
• Wide color gamut, (WCG) and high dynamic range (HDR) management;
• Workflow management;
• Cloud and virtualized media processing;
• Content management and storage, restoration and preservation;
• OTT media distribution;
• The quality and monitoring of images and sound;
• New compression techniques and implementations;
• Advances in display tech;
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence technology;
• IP-based media transport and workflow; and
• Fostering inclusivity in science, technology, engineering and math.

[Read: SMPTE Survey Reveals M&E Organizations To Increase Spending On Emerging Tech]

This year’s symposium, chaired by Michael Zink, VP of technology at Warner Bros., is entitled “Driving the Entertainment Revolution: Autonomous Cars, Machine Intelligence & Mixed Reality.” The symposium will examine where emerging technologies related to the M&E industry stand and the opportunities they present.

By day, the week’s schedule includes:

Monday, Oct. 22

• SMPTE 2018 Symposium;
• The annual Women in Technology Luncheon, presented by SMPTE and HPA Women in Post;
• Lunch provided for symposium attendees not attending Women in Post luncheon.

Tuesday, Oct 23

• Technical conference begins — three concurrent sessions and opening keynote;
• Exhibition hall opens at noon; 
• SMPTE Fellows Luncheon; 
•  Lunch provided to technical conference registrants; 
• Oktoberfest Reception in the Centennial Exhibit Hall.

Wednesday, Oct. 24

• 4K Run 4Charity Fun Run;
• Day two of technical conference — three concurrent sessions;
• Exhibition hall opens at 10 a.m.
• Lunch provided to technical conference registrants;
• SMPTE Annual General Membership Meeting;
• Trick or Treat Spooktacular.

 Thursday, Oct, 25

• Final day of SMPTE technical conference;
• Exhibition Hall hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
• Lunch provided to technical conference registrants;
• SMPTE 2018 Annual Awards Gala.

Early bird registration fees for both the symposium and technical conference are available through Aug. 4, and hotel group rates are available through Sept. 28, or until rooms are sold out.

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The biggest just got bigger: InfoComm 2018 was another show for the record books as North America’s largest AV industry gathering served up a wider range of education, new innovative experiences, and a broader tech focus than ever before.

“It’s the largest show floor from an exhibitor space perspective than we’ve ever had,” said AVIXA CEO David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD. “Attendance and education look like they’re up; we won’t know our total number of attendees until Friday at 4 o’clock, but everybody on staff is excited and happy.”

Exhibitors, which totaled nearly 1,000, featured some prominent companies, including Google, Microsoft, Dolby, Lenovo, Intel and Dell, reflecting the growing intersection of AV and IT, as well as crossover with the residential technology sphere — a trend encapsulated in the show’s Integrated Life pavilion.

From Emerging Trends Day and the TIDE conference on Tuesday to the expanded slate of technology tours throughout the week — including behind-the-scenes looks at Cirque du Soleil shows — opportunities for education and inspiration away from the show floor abounded.

Inside the convention center, novel additions like C2 joined popular returning attractions like Center Stage to further enrich the attendee experience and stimulate their drive to innovate long after the week is over.

“Make sure that what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas,” Labuskes said. “Take it back with you to every meeting with your peers, whether you’re an AV technician or a CEO.” 

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