Southeast Asia's Streaming Market Sees Significant Growth in 2025

The premium streaming market in Southeast Asia experienced notable growth in 2025, with paid streaming accounts increasing by 19% year-over-year, surpassing 61 million across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Indonesia emerged as the leader in new account additions and accounted for the largest share of total watch time. In contrast, Malaysia and Singapore, having reached market saturation, shifted their focus towards enhancing user engagement and revenue generation rather than merely adding subscribers.

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Southeast Asian viewers consumed approximately 4.2 billion hours of premium streaming content in the final quarter of 2025, marking an 8% increase from the previous quarter. Notably, Netflix's regional viewing rose by 14%, while iQIYI saw a 10% increase. However, Indonesian service Vidio recorded the most significant growth at 24%. The quarter also marked a historic milestone where Indonesian productions matched Korean programming in viewership share, each capturing 30% of the audience. This shift underscores the rising viability of local content, with several Indonesian originals ranking among the top-performing titles.

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Netflix maintained its dominance in the region, leading in subscriber count, monthly active users, and total watch time. Its success is attributed to a blend of global franchises, major Korean series, and locally sourced content from Indonesia and Thailand. Viu secured the second position in subscribers and user engagement, benefiting from a strong demand for Korean and Chinese dramas alongside targeted local productions. Vidio led among Indonesian platforms, ranking second to Netflix in watch time and revenue, while iQIYI regained momentum in the latter half of the year, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand.

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The expansion of connected TV usage has significantly altered how Southeast Asian audiences consume streaming content. While mobile devices remain the primary viewing platform, connected TVs are increasingly accounting for a larger share of total watch hours, longer viewing sessions, and enhanced interaction with various content types. This trend was particularly pronounced in Indonesia and the Philippines, indicating a shift towards living room viewing on larger screens.

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The streaming industry in Southeast Asia is consolidating, with three to four platforms capturing approximately 70% of subscriptions and viewing activity across markets. This concentration suggests a trend towards fewer dominant players in the sector. As local content continues to gain traction and connected TV usage rises, the landscape of streaming in Southeast Asia is poised for further evolution.

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“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,” — Dhivya T, Lead Analyst, Media Partners Asia

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While the data indicates significant growth in local content viewership, the exact impact of this shift on long-term subscriber retention remains unclear. Additionally, discrepancies exist regarding the specific contributions of various platforms to overall market growth, highlighting a need for further analysis.

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