Japan’s Streaming Market Hits $7.2 Billion, Report Finds

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Japan’s Streaming Market Hits .2 Billion, Report Finds — Japans Streaming Market Hits 72 Billion Report Finds.jpg

Japan’s premium video-on-demand sector in 2025 saw a significant increase in revenue, reaching $7.2 billion, a 15% year-over-year growth, as reported by Media Partners Asia. This growth can be attributed to platforms diversifying their revenue models, incorporating ad-supported subscription options, and investing more in local programming and live sports rights.

The market is dominated by three key players, with Netflix leading in revenue share at 22%, followed by Prime Video with the highest subscriber count of 19.3 million users. Local service U-Next holds 12% of the revenue share, offering an integrated content package that includes streaming video, manga, music, and exclusive sports programming.

Subscription video platforms collectively gained 4 million subscribers in 2025, bringing the total to 67.9 million, including YouTube Premium users. Netflix experienced significant growth due to its partnership renewal with KDDI and strong performance of Japanese originals. DAZN also contributed to the subscriber growth through its inclusion in NTT Docomo’s ahamo Max mobile service.

Total viewing hours across premium VOD platforms reached 8.1 billion in 2025, with broadcaster-backed free streaming service TVer capturing the highest share of watch time at 23%. However, Netflix boasted superior per-subscriber engagement, with users averaging close to 20 hours monthly on the platform.

Local productions remain popular among viewers, accounting for 80% of all streaming hours. Animation, in particular, was a standout genre, with “Spy x Family” being the most-watched title in Q4 2025. American content also found a significant audience, with 28% of users watching U.S. series and films.

Major platforms are now focusing on live event programming, with Netflix securing exclusive rights to the 2026 World Baseball Classic. TVer plans to broadcast selected competitions from the 2026 Winter Olympics, while U-Next is expanding its sports portfolio to include coverage of women’s golf majors and English Premier League soccer.

Dhivya T, lead analyst at MPA, commented on the market’s maturation, emphasizing the importance of sophisticated monetization strategies and engagement through live events and premium local storytelling. The insights are derived from MPA’s Japan Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics report, utilizing the AMPD measurement platform to track viewing behavior across mobile devices and connected television.