Indonesian Originals Begin To Challenge Korean Content In Southeast Asia – MPA Report

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Southeast Asian premium streaming subscriptions grew 19% year-over-year in 2025, according to a Media Partners Asia report, as Indonesian original series began to match Korean content.

The region reached more than 61 million subs across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

Indonesia “accounted for a disproportionate share of new subscribers and viewing hours,” with Thailand and the Philippines also providing “steady incremental growth.”

Premium VOD viewing hours grew 8% quarter-on-quarter to 4.2 billion hours, with Netflix and iQiyi up 14% and 10%, respectively. Vidio‘s Indonesian service provided “standout acceleration” of 24%.

According to MPA, Q4 2025 marked the first time Indonesian content had “reached parity” with Korean content, with both hitting 30% premium VOD viewership and reach of between 47-48% of users. Numerous Vidio original series ranked among the most watched.

Netflix remains the clear leader in Southeast Asia in subscribers, MAUs and total viewing hours, with Viu
ranked second regionally on a calendar 2025 year basis ranked on subscribers, MAUs and engagement, with “sustained demand for Korean and Chinese dramas and selective local programming” playing a key role.

“Korean content continued to anchor reach across Southeast Asia in 2025, but local originals are now playing a far more central role in driving both acquisition and engagement,” said Dhivya T, Lead Analyst
and Head of Insights at MPA and AMPD.

“Indonesia stood out this year, with local titles competing directly with Korean dramas at the top of the premium VOD rankings. This is a meaningful shift that reflects improving content quality, stronger distribution and rising audience confidence in local storytelling. Thai content also demonstrated strong cross-border travelability, while Chinese dramas remained a key engagement driver on freemium and hybrid platforms across multiple markets.”

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