Entertainment

Japanese Survey Shows Live TV Still Dominates Anime Watching, Leaving Netflix Behind

By Shubham Maity

A reader survey released by the Japanese website Anime! Anime! on November 5, 2026 found that only about 15 percent of respondents usually watch anime through subscription platforms, while 70 percent watch it on live broadcast television. The poll, titled Anime! Anime! “Oshi‑katsu,” also covered manga and games and was not specific to Netflix.

The survey asked participants whether they watched anime live as it aired. Roughly 55 percent said they occasionally watched episodes at premiere time, and about 20 percent were regular real‑time viewers, meaning more than 70 percent of respondents watched live broadcasts. Recording a broadcast was also common, with about 45 percent of participants taping their favourite anime to watch later or rewatch.

When asked which platform they used most to watch anime, Amazon Prime Video was the most frequently mentioned service, with about half of users citing it. Netflix followed at around 30 percent, while U‑NEXT and Hulu each had about 10 percent. The poll also revealed that nearly half of respondents did not have current subscriptions.

Although Netflix has expanded its anime catalogue and has many popular and exclusive titles, the Japanese telecasting culture appears to limit the dominance of subscription platforms. The figures represent the preferences of the survey participants rather than overall market share.

According to comprehensive market data from Media Partners Asia, anime accounted for 28 percent of tracked premium video‑on‑demand viewing hours in Japan in the first half of 2026. Prime Video leads domestic streaming in Japan, with both Prime Video and Netflix together driving the majority of total time spent watching anime on subscription services. Media Partners Asia reports Prime Video has over 19 million subscribers in Japan compared to Netflix’s 7.5 million, largely due to Amazon Prime’s inexpensive bundle. Anime viewing on Netflix increased from about 3.33 billion hours in the first half of 2023 to around 4.64 billion in the first half of 2026, showing significant growth.

The challenge for Netflix is not only acquiring a large anime catalogue but also understanding Japanese viewing habits. Global streaming success does not automatically translate into domestic dominance in the birthplace of anime.