Netflix said on Tuesday that its productions have contributed more than $325 billion to the global economy over the past decade, including in the Arab World, and created more than 425,000 jobs, as the streaming giant published a wide-ranging report it is calling “The Netflix Effect.”
The report, released by chief executive Ted Sarandos to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Netflix’s single-day expansion from 60 countries to more than 190, argues that a deliberate strategy of hyper-local storytelling has produced economic and cultural returns that extend far beyond the screen.
Netflix said it has invested more than $135 billion in films and series over the same period, with impact flowing to writers, directors, technicians, small business owners, and local communities in more than 50 countries.
Going global by going local
Sarandos, in the announcement of the report, said the company’s guiding principle from the moment it went global was the inverse of what observers expected. “The best way to be global was to start off intensely local,” he said, adding that production activity had created jobs, supported local businesses, and generated impact extending well beyond entertainment.
The report highlights productions across multiple continents as evidence of that thesis. In Mexico, Club De Cuervos, produced in 2015 as Netflix’s first original series outside the United States, is cited as the foundational step toward a content operation that has since reached across more than 4,500 cities and towns worldwide.
In Colombia, the Amazon thriller Frontera Verde drew 30 of its 150 crew members directly from the local Amazonian region in which it was filmed.
US productions drive deep local roots
Within the United States, Netflix pointed to Stranger Things as its most tangible example of domestic production footprint. The show’s final season alone created more than 8,000 production jobs — including over 200 stunt performers — and engaged more than 3,800 vendors spanning nearly every U.S. state, the company said.
Filming locations connected to the series, such as Bradley’s Olde Tavern in Jackson, Georgia, have become destination sites for fans.
In California, Netflix said the four seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer have contributed more than $425 million to the state economy, employed over 4,300 cast and crew, and filmed at more than 50 locations across Los Angeles, among them Dodger Stadium and Grand Central Market.
In Europe, the Swedish edition of Love Is Blind transformed the small city of Strängnäs, outside Stockholm, into a production hub for up to 40 weeks per year, sustaining crews across lighting, sound, set design, and makeup while generating secondary business for local hospitality, dining, and transport sectors.
K-Pop film sets record, triggers cultural wave
Among its most striking claims, Netflix said KPop Demon Hunters became the most popular original film in the company’s history, triggering a measurable cultural response. The film’s song “Golden” received the first Grammy Award ever given to a K-pop track, and the film itself received two Academy Awards.
The company cited Duolingo data showing a 22% increase in Americans studying Korean following the film’s release, alongside a 25% rise in flight bookings to South Korea.
Netflix said more broadly that its films and series have returned older songs to music charts, increased interest in niche sports, and driven consumer demand for products including chess sets.
Training and what lies ahead
Beyond direct production, Netflix said its training programmes in the Arab World and other markets have reached more than 90,000 people across more than 75 countries, part of what it described as a broader effort to grow the entertainment industry in regions where it operates.
The company said it plans to continue spending tens of billions of dollars annually on content, expand production facilities, and develop what it called multibrand experiences as it builds on the momentum documented in the report.
Sarandos said Netflix regards its creative partners as central to its identity. “Through their powerful storytelling, audiences are drawn to watch and engage with their work more deeply,” he said.
