Netflix generates $325B in worldwide economic value, boosts K-culture: Report

Investments by Netflix in films and television series over the past decade have generated more than $325 billion in economic value worldwide while helping fuel tourism, job creation and the global rise of Korean popular culture, the company said in a press release Wednesday.

In a 112-page report titled “The Netflix Effect,” the content giant highlighted the economic, cultural and social impact of its content on audiences, creators, local communities and industries since its global expansion in 2016.

Netflix invested more than $135 billion in films and series between 2016 and 2025, according to the report, producing content across more than 4,500 cities and towns in over 50 countries.  

The company said those investments helped generate more than 425,000 jobs worldwide and contributed over $325 billion in added economic value.

The report highlights 10 areas in which Netflix says its content has created spillover effects, including nurturing creative and production talent, boosting tourism demand, contributing to local economies, introducing newer audiences to older content under license and expanding global career opportunities for creators and performers.

Among the examples featured prominently in the report were Korean productions, which Netflix credited with boosting tourism, fashion, food and the global visibility of Korean culture.

The Korean series “When Life Gives You Tangerines” (2025) was cited as a representative case, with Netflix estimating it contributed more than 90 billion won ($60 million) to the Korean economy.

The series, which prominently showcased the scenery of Jeju Island, involved around 600 cast and crew members and some 4,000 partner businesses during production, according to Netflix.

The company further attributed rising tourist arrivals in the country to the global popularity of Korean content.

The number of foreign visitors to Korea reached a record 4.76 million in the first quarter of this year, up 23 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Tourism Organization that was cited by the company.

Netflix also noted that survey data shows that 72 percent of its users who watched Korean content expressed interest in visiting Korea.

The company highlighted the animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” (2025) as another example of Korean culture’s global influence, saying it helped fuel worldwide interest in Korean entertainment.

The film won two Academy Awards and became the first K-pop-themed production to secure a Grammy Award through its hit track, “Golden” (2025).

Netflix also pointed to broader cultural ripple effects tied to Korean content. Language-learning platform Duolingo reported a 22 percent increase in Americans studying Korean, while bookings for flights to Korea rose 25 percent, according to the company.

The influence extended to fashion and food, Netflix said.

After the release of Squid Game, the show’s signature green tracksuits topped Halloween costume searches for two consecutive years, while sales of white slip-on sneakers by Vans surged nearly 8,000 percent.

The culinary competition series “Culinary Class Wars” (2024-) also boosted restaurant demand, with reservations at restaurants operated by participating chefs rising an average of 148 percent during the show’s run, according to Netflix.

The report additionally spotlighted Korean creators who leveraged Netflix projects to gain global recognition, including director Maggie Kang of “KPop Demon Hunters” and screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, whose zombie thriller series “Kingdom” (2019-20) helped popularize Korean content worldwide.

In a post on Netflix’s newsroom blog, CEO Ted Sarandos said the company’s global strategy has relied on local storytelling.

“Ten years ago, Netflix went from entertaining audiences in about 60 countries to more than 190 in a single day... We knew, even back then, that the best way to be global was to start off intensely local,” said Sarandos.

“That’s why, while other entertainment companies pull back, we’re leaning in — spending tens of billions of dollars on content every year, investing in production facilities from Spain to New Jersey, and growing the entertainment industry through training programs that have reached over 90,000 people across more than 75 countries,” he added.

Sarandos also said Netflix will “keep investing in the relationships we’ve built with the creators we work with, the communities we depend on and the fans who love to watch.”

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]