After the "Blood of Zeus" hit, Netflix plans to push 40 new anime this year

Ghost Blade

Leyi home Reported on the afternoon of March 29, Beijing time, the number of Japanese anime released on Netflix has almost doubled this year, highlighting the streaming giant's step-up efforts to create original content that attracts Asian audiences, competing with AT&T and Sony.

　　On Saturday, Netflix said in a statement at a virtual anime expo in Japan that the company will launch 40 new anime works this year. In Japan, Netflix has about 5 million subscriber households, half of whom watch the show on average 5 hours a month.

　　Netflix's move is also aimed at promoting original content that appeals to Asian audiences. Asia is the fastest-growing streaming market in the world, compared to North America, where Netflix's home base is, is nearly saturated. After the success of the anime movie Devil's Blade , the world's fourth-grossing film last year and Japan's best-selling ever film — entertainment companies have scrambled to grab the $23 billion market.

　　Taiki Sakurai, Netflix's chief anime producer, said in an interview: "We want to be the top entertainment platform with high-quality content. The growth of our business is directly related to the growth of anime content. ”

　　In Asia, competitors such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime have increased their content investment, and the market competition has become increasingly fierce. If Netflix is to sustain its recent growth rate, attracting Asian subscribers is crucial.

　　Pooh Chuang, an analyst at president capital management corp, a Taiwanese capital firm, said: "One of Netflix's biggest advantages over its competitors is that the company can produce localized original content based on its extensive user data. Doubling the number of original anime works helps localize campaigns and imposes user stickiness. ”

　　Sakurai said the number of views of anime shows around the world has increased by nearly 50 percent a year. He said half of Netflix's 200 million global subscribers have watched at least one anime in recent months. When Sakurai joined Netflix four years ago, he was the only employee who did anime. Today, the team has grown to 12 people, showing that Netflix really wants to do a good job of anime content.

　　Some of Netflix's anime series have become the most popular shows on the platform. Launched last year, Blood of Zeus is one of the top ten most popular series in more than 80 countries on the platform. This year, Netflix's planned anime series also include Yasuke Samurai, about a legendary African samurai from feudal Japan, and Resident Evil: Endless Darkness, based on the well-known Japanese horror game series Resident Evil.

　　According to a report released last year by the Japan Animation Association, the global animation market (including box office, peripheral and TV expenses, etc.) has nearly doubled to $23 billion in the decade to 2019. Million Insights, an Indian research firm, also mentioned in last year's report that the market is expected to exceed $36 billion by 2025, thanks to the popularity of streaming platforms and the growing popularity of smartphone games in Japan.