Full Breakdown
KPop Demon Hunters Tops Northern Ireland’s 2025 Media Landscape
7/29/2026, 11:58:50 AM
Record-Breaking Viewership for an Animated Film
The Ofcom Media Nations report for Northern Ireland identifies the Netflix animated feature KPop Demon Hunters as the region’s most-watched media property for the full calendar year of 2025, averaging over 600,000 viewers and reaching around 616,000 viewers on the platform. Netflix internal data confirms the title is also the streaming service’s most-watched cinematic release globally, with more than 325 million verified views. The film’s popularity eclipsed all locally produced television, making it the top-ranked program in the market.
Shifts in Viewing Habits Across Platforms
The same Ofcom analysis notes a broader transition from traditional broadcast to on-demand services. Amazon Prime Video is the most subscribed streaming service in Northern Ireland, used by 63 % of households, while Netflix follows as the second-most popular. Viewers are also spending less time on live television, with average daily live-TV consumption falling to one hour, 50 minutes, a decline of 16 minutes from 2024. YouTube remains significant, with 71 % of adults aged 16-34 watching at least three minutes per week and an average of 40 minutes daily across devices.
Other Top-Rated Programs and Radio Landscape
BBC’s police drama Blue Lights secured the second-most-watched position, drawing approximately 508,000 viewers. Other BBC and ITV titles such as *The Celebrity Traitors* and *I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!* also entered the top ten. Radio continues strong engagement, with 88 % of adults listening weekly; Radio Ulster leads outside Belfast, while Cool FM is slightly ahead within the city. Podcast listening has risen to 25 % of adults, driven largely by younger listeners (34 % of 16-34-year-olds). Music streaming is widespread, with nearly half of adults using Spotify.
Audience Voices on Media Choices
Interviews conducted by BBC News NI reveal divergent preferences among young viewers. Seventeen-year-olds from Newtownards and Holywood describe themselves as “YouTube fiends,” favoring short-form video and streaming over traditional TV. Others, such as a university student from Belfast, combine TV, streaming services, and YouTube, citing a desire for varied content including cartoons, documentaries, and news. Several respondents highlighted the need for multiple subscriptions to access all desired series, underscoring the fragmented nature of contemporary media consumption.
Implications for Local Broadcasting
The dominance of a non-domestic, algorithm-driven title signals a structural shift in audience attention that challenges the historic primacy of regional broadcast. While public-service offerings like *Blue Lights* retain substantial viewership, the data suggests broadcasters must adapt to a landscape where on-demand platforms and social-media amplification dictate popularity. Continued monitoring of cross-platform habits will be essential for policymakers and media firms aiming to sustain local content relevance.
