Netflix plans 40 anime shows in audience fight with Disney+, Amazon Prime after success of Blood of Zeus and Demon Slayer

Global viewing of anime has been rising about 50 per cent a year, and half of Netflix’s 200 million global subscribers watched at least one in recent months

Some of Netflix’s anime series have become its most-popular titles – Blood of Zeus is among the platform’s 10 most-watched series in about 80 countries

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Following the success of Blood of Zeus, Netflix plans to launch 40 new anime titles this year.

Published: 4:15am, 30 Mar 2021Updated: 4:05pm, 10 May 2022

Netflix will almost double the number of Japanese-style anime series it releases this year, stepping up its fight against rivals such as Sony for original content that appeals to Asian viewers.

The world’s largest paid-streaming service will launch 40 new anime titles this year, it said during a recent virtual animation expo from Japan, where half of Netflix’s five million subscribing households watch an average of five hours of the shows each month.

The move is part of a push for original content to appeal to audiences in Asia, one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets, as its home market of North America reaches saturation point.

Following the success of anime movie Demon Slayer – last year’s fourth highest-grossing film globally and Japan’s bestselling title of all time – entertainment companies are increasingly vying for a slice of the US$23 billion industry.

“We want to be able to pride ourselves as being the top entertainment destination with good quality content,” Taiki Sakurai, Netflix’s chief anime producer, said in an interview. “The growth of our business is directly connected to the growth of our anime.”

Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is based on a Japanese horror video-game franchise.

Adding customers in Asia is also crucial if Netflix is to sustain its recent growth amid increasing competition in the region from rivals such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime, which are also spending more on producing content.