LONDON—Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” has surpassed 1 billion viewing hours, cementing its title as the most-watched film on Netflix, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.
The kids’ movie was the most popular movie on subscription streaming platforms in 2025 and was declared “the most-watched film of all time on Netflix” last summer, when it surpassed “Red Notice” with 256 million views.
“KPop Demon Hunters” is one of the first streaming original films to break into a space dominated by the franchises of major studios like Disney and NBCUniversal, Ampere said. It is also a rare example of an original film reaching a level of cultural impact reserved for flagship series such as “Squid Game” and “Stranger Things.”
Ampere’s analysis revealed:
- Hit Children & Family titles have longer viewing lifecycles. “KPop Demon Hunters” reached peak weekly viewing in its 11th week after release. In comparison,Ampere’s analysis of the top 20 most-viewed Original films released onNetflix shows they usually reach peak weekly viewership in week one or two andengagement diminishes quickly.
- Netflix has reduced commissioning in the genre. Children & Family content accounted for 4% of Netflix’s total commissions during 2024-2025, down from 9% during 2022-2023.
- This reflects a broader streaming platform trend. SVOD platforms have the lowest share of scripted Children & Family commissions than any other content type. Globally, they accounted for just 13% of Children & Family commissions in 2025, versus 47% for traditional TV outlets such as public service broadcasters. Increased reliance on ad-supported tiers, where monetizing children’s content is complex, and the rise in popularity of platforms like YouTube are contributing to the SVOD pullback.
- Despite this, kids’ content remains a key subscription driver. Among households with children, 35% say having TV shows and movies their children want to watch is a key subscription motivator (Ampere Q3 2025 Media Consumer data).
- The Children & Family genre continues to deliver strong engagement. In H2 2025, it generated 4.4 billion views, second only to Crime & Thriller, according to Ampere’s analysis of Netflix’s global viewing data of movies and TV seasons.
“The film’s musical core extended its reach beyond the platform and encouraged repeat viewing,” Ampere Research Manager Joe Hall said. “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.”
