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Netflix's “KPop Demon Hunters” Hits 600 M Views, Gets Sequel

6/19/2026

50 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Netflix Breaks Records

Netflix reported that “KPop Demon Hunters” exceeded 600 million views in its first year and became the platform’s most-watched title, breaking the prior 20-week record.
The film topped Netflix’s Top 10 in all 93 countries, reached No. 1 in 76, and stayed there for 52 weeks.
Netflix announced a sequel directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, new merchandise, and noted 4.6 billion social impressions and 11.5 million Roblox play hours.

Summary

Netflix Debuts KPop

Netflix will debut a ticketed “KPop Demon Hunters” experience in Dallas and Philadelphia during the 2026 holiday season, with fan screenings on June 20.
CMO Marian Lee said the attraction will include a giant Derpy character for photos and music-focused activities, reflecting fan research.
The Netflix Playground app will add six KPop Demon Hunters minigames on Saturday, offering preorderable LEGO sets of Derpy Tiger and Susie Bird.

Summary

Golden Wins Oscars

The film won Feature and Song at the 2026 Oscars, giving “Golden” the first K-pop Oscar and making co-director Maggie Kang the first Korean-descent woman winner.
It also earned two Golden Globes and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media, a K-pop first.
Google’s 2025 Year in Search named KPop Demon Hunters the top-searched movie, ranked it No. 2 trending, and its “Golden” lyric video amassed 2.3 billion YouTube views.

History

Historical Context

After Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views on December 21 2012, K-pop proved its global viral power. Building on that momentum, Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation launched the animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” in summer 2025, a show that quickly topped Billboard soundtrack charts and sparked worldwide streaming interest.

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Netflix Breaks Records

Netflix reported that “KPop Demon Hunters” exceeded 600 million views in its first year and became the platform’s most-watched title, breaking the prior 20-week record.
The film topped Netflix’s Top 10 in all 93 countries, reached No. 1 in 76, and stayed there for 52 weeks.
Netflix announced a sequel directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, new merchandise, and noted 4.6 billion social impressions and 11.5 million Roblox play hours.

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