Anime isn’t a niche medium anymore, and Netflix has the numbers to prove it. At Anime Expo 2025, the streamer shared its updated viewership data, highlighting how Japanese animation has expanded far beyond its former niche audience.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, 2024 marked a new high point for Netflix, with 33 different anime titles appearing in the streamer’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) rankings. This is more than double the number from 2021. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Netflix’s members, which amounts to over 150 million households, watched anime, with viewership on the platform having reportedly tripled over the past five years.

Netflix Proves Itself as Go-to Streamer for Anime Fans in Record-Breaking Year

An analysis of Netflix’s Global Top 10 data from Tudum illustrates that 2024 was a year of consistent success for the anime category. Anime content was viewed over 1 billion times globally in 2024 on Netflix, with 80 to 90% of users choosing to watch dubbed versions. The year began strongly, with Delicious in Dungeon storming into the rankings for the latter three weeks of January and the first two weeks of February. January also saw entries from Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc for two weeks, along with single-week appearances from Pokémon Concierge and Yu Yu Hakusho Season 1. The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 1 also charted in the last week of January and the first week of February. However, momentum slowed in the following months, with My Hero Academia Season 1 being the only anime to feature in March (for 1 week) and Spy x Family Season 1 appearing just once in the first week of April.

The Spring and Summer seasons saw a resurgence, led by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Hashira Training Arc. It appeared twice in May and became the only anime to secure the top spot in the Global Top 10 (non-English) all year, achieving this for the week of May 13-19, owing to its premiere. Kaiju No. 8 Season 1, Dr. Stone Season 2 and Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 also made single appearances in May. Demon Slayer continued as a mainstay in June, joined by one-off appearances from Kaiju No. 8, Jujutsu Kaisen and the Rising Impact anime.

After a busy start to July with Oshi no Ko Season 2, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 and Demon Slayer each charting once, anime was absent from the top 10 for the last two weeks of the month. August saw the classic film Grave of the Fireflies make the list, along with Kengan Ashura and Terminator Zero.

The final quarter of the year was perhaps Netflix’s strongest when it came to its anime viewership. October featured a packed lineup, including three-week runs for both Dragon Ball: Daima and the new Ranma ½ anime. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc also made it to the list in October multiple times, thanks to its Netflix U.S. premiere. Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance also ranked in the Global Top 10 in the English shows section.

Dandadan Joins Demon Slayer as Biggest Anime for Netflix in Official Yearly Streaming Data

The year concluded on a high note for Dandadan, which ranked in the Global Top 10 for a total of 12 weeks, covering its entire broadcast run. It stood as the only anime present in the streamer’s Global Top 10 for most of November and December 2024. Naturally, Dandadan was Netflix’s most popular anime in the latter half of 2024, clocking in 96.5 million hours viewed.

Looking ahead, Netflix is building on this momentum with several high-profile releases. Leading the upcoming slate is Sakamoto Days, whose first installment spent 10 weeks on the Global Top 10 list. New episodes of the anime are set to begin streaming on July 14, 2025. Additionally, Netflix recently debuted a teaser and new key art for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, the anticipated sequel to the acclaimed 2022 series from Studio Trigger.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter