INDUSTRY / MARKETEurope / Asia
08/09/2026 – Driven by Netflix and Prime Video, the region accounted for 36% of all first-run scripted orders from the six leading global streamers in the first half of 2026
Netflix title The Great Flood, by Byung-woo Kim
Asia-Pacific has overtaken North America and Western Europe to become the world’s largest region for first-run scripted streaming commissions for the first time, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.
During the first half of 2026, Asia-Pacific (APAC) accounted for 36% of all first-run scripted TV orders placed by six leading global streaming platforms – Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Paramount+ – marking the highest six-month share ever recorded by the research company.
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The region secured 70 first-run scripted commissions during
The region secured 70 first-run scripted commissions during the period, well ahead of North America with 46 and Western Europe with 44, while all other regions combined accounted for 34.
Ampere attributes much of the shift to the commissioning strategies of Netflix and Amazon, whose activity across APAC has accelerated significantly. By contrast, the two companies’ combined first-run orders in Western Europe and North America remained almost flat compared with the first half of 2025.
India emerged as APAC’s busiest market with 25 orders, representing the largest increase in the region. This growth was notably fuelled by Prime Video, which stepped up commissioning across multiple Indian languages. South Korea remained the second-largest APAC market by volume, with Netflix continuing to lead commissioning activity among the international platforms.
Crime and thriller titles accounted for around one-third
Crime and thriller titles accounted for around one-third of APAC commissions, while drama reached a record one-quarter of the total. Sci-fi and fantasy, which had led the regional genre mix by share in the first half of 2025, declined sharply.
The figures also point to growing activity in less established streaming territories. Taiwan registered nine new scripted commissions and the Philippines seven during the first six months of the year. Netflix quadrupled its new scripted series orders in Taiwan compared with the previous year, with projects including medical drama How to Survive Med Schooland crime investigation series Million-Follower Detective.
In the Philippines, meanwhile, Amazon announced five new series during this six-month period, including romance drama The Loyalty Game.
Ampere argues that locally produced Asian titles
Ampere argues that locally produced Asian titles are also demonstrating increasing potential to travel internationally. Recent examples include Netflix’s Thai original My Dearest Assassinand South Korean title The Great Flood. Streamers are simultaneously expanding their licensing strategies around Asian content, with Prime Video extending its existing multi-year worldwide distribution agreement with South Korean entertainment group CJ ENM in 2026.
The commissioning boom nevertheless reflects different phases of streaming-market development across the region. In more mature territories such as India, South Korea and Japan, new productions are being used both to attract and retain subscribers while reaching wider regional and global audiences. In emerging markets including Taiwan and the Philippines, original commissioning is still playing a stronger role in subscriber acquisition.
As explained by Cyrine Amor, senior research manager at Ampere Analysis: “APAC has become increasingly important to global streamers for two reasons: it offers attractive opportunities for subscriber growth, while Asian content is increasingly finding audiences far beyond its home markets. India, South Korea and Japan remain at the heart of commissioning activity, but growth in markets such as Taiwan and the Philippines shows how widely streamers are now looking for locally produced content with regional and global potential.”
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See also
- Industry Report: Europe and the Rest of the World
- Industry Report: Market Trends
Source: cineuropa.org
