Image: Squid Game, Netflix
American audiences' interest in foreign language content has been steadily growing in recent years. Between Q1 2022 and Q3 2024, the demand share for foreign language shows increased from 12.8% to 17% of total TV demand in the US, according to Parrot Analytics' Demand360. A significant portion of this growth has been fueled by international content made available on US streaming platforms, particularly the expanding selection of Korean shows on Netflix.
Korean and Spanish are the two most significant foreign languages in the US TV landscape, trailing only Japanese—a language that has firmly established its global presence over the past few decades. As foreign-language content becomes more popular, it's natural for each language to find its niche audience. Often, popular shows from foreign countries cater to specific genres, which helps define their appeal outside domestic markets.
In the US, both Spanish and Korean series exemplify this trend. Korean dramas, in particular, are a cornerstone of South Korea’s cultural exports. Last quarter, this genre accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total demand for Korean TV shows in the US. Similarly, Spanish-language content leans heavily on drama, responsible for 56% of its demand, with soap operas playing a key role. Beyond dramas, news programs such as "Noticias Telemundo" and "Noticiero Univisión" also significantly contribute to the demand for Spanish-language content.
The dominance of K-dramas and Spanish soap operas reveals an interesting pattern in audience demographics. Both types of shows primarily attract young, female viewers. Korean TV shows, in particular, have a strong young-female skew, while Spanish-language shows tend to appeal to a more balanced audience in terms of gender and age, though they still lean more female.
"Squid Game" is a notable exception among Korean-language shows. Unlike most K-dramas, which tend to target a niche female audience, it appeals to a broad range of demographic groups and holds a central position in audience charts. On the other hand, many popular Korean shows, such as the horror-dramas "Sweet Home" and "All of Us Are Dead," continue to attract primarily female, niche audiences.
Spanish-language content, however, is split into two main categories. One targets older audiences of both genders, and includes the aforementioned news programs, classic soap operas like "La Usurpadora," and the horror-drama "30 Coins (30 Monedas)." The second category, which includes most Spanish-language dramas, appeals to a younger female audience. This group is quite diverse, featuring religious-themed dramas like "La Rosa de Guadalupe," the crime soap-opera "El Señor de Los Cielos," and Netflix's hit "Money Heist."
