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Will Netflix's Asian Content Push Act as Catalyst for Stock Growth?

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As Netflix (NFLX - Free Report) continues to expand its global footprint, the streaming giant is placing an increasingly significant bet on Asian content. This strategic pivot raises a crucial question for investors: Will Netflix's focus on Asian storytelling become a driving force for stock appreciation?

In the year-to-date period, Netflix has seen an impressive 44.2% increase in its stock value, outpacing the broader Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector’s growth of 4% and many of its peers in the entertainment industry, reflecting the company's successful strategies to expand its content library, enhance user experience and grow its global subscriber base. 

Recently, Netflix and the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) collaborated to host the inaugural Creative Asia Forum, bringing together more than 130 emerging filmmakers from across Asia. The event, held during the 2024 BIFF, aimed to connect rising talent with industry leaders and Netflix's content teams.

The forum featured masterclass conversations with established creators, including Japanese director Hiroshi Kurosaki and the team behind the Chinese-language series Born For The Spotlight. These discussions explored themes of cultural resonance and evolving roles for women in Asian storytelling. Indonesian creators Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, recent winners at the Asian Content Awards, shared insights on their hit show Cigarette Girl, emphasizing the importance of representing female strength and untold stories.

Netflix's production leaders conducted workshops on bringing ideas to life using creativity, collaboration and accessible technology. The Creative Asia Forum is part of Netflix's global initiative to nurture creative talent and share industry expertise. Through various programs, including the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, the company has committed more than $41 million to support underrepresented creators worldwide, with over 450 program participants going on to work on Netflix productions.

This invite-only event, held on Oct. 6 in Busan, marks a significant step in Netflix's commitment to fostering the next generation of Asian filmmakers and storytellers.

Netflix’s Korean Content Slate Shows Promise

Netflix's commitment to Asian content has been gaining momentum in recent years. The company has been aggressively investing in original productions across various Asian markets, including South Korea, Japan, India and Southeast Asian countries.

This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has showcased its Korean film slate for the coming year at an event in Busan, including Lost In Starlight, the first Korean-language animated feature to be produced by the streamer. Lost In Starlight will mark the feature debut of director Han Ji-won and follows the long-distance relationship between an astronaut, voiced by Kim Tae-ri of The Handmaiden, and a musician, voiced by Hong Kyung of TV’s Revenant. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The content slate includes Revelations, a new thriller from Yeon Sang-ho, director of Train To Busan and Netflix series Hellbound and Parasite: The Grey. The film reunites Yeon with Hellbound co-writer Choi Gyu-seok, and stars Ryu Jun-yeol (The Night Owl) and Shin Hyun- (Hospital Playlist).

The content lineup also includes Good News, a plane-hijacking thriller set in 1970, from director Byun Sung-hyun, who worked with Netflix on last year’s actioner Kill Boksoon, which premiered in Berlin. 

Good News reunites the filmmaker with star Sul Kyung-gu for the fourth time following The Merciless, Kingmaker and Kill Boksoon. The cast also includes Hong Kyung (Weak Hero Class 1) and Ryoo Seung-bum (Moving).

Entirely set within the confines of an apartment complex, Wall To Wall stars Kang Ha-neul as a man who buys an apartment but is plagued by mysterious noises from neighboring floors. Seo Hyun-woo (Decision To Leave) and Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory) are also starring in this movie. Director Kim Tae-joon previously worked with Netflix on thriller Unlocked in 2023.

Rounding out the titles was the romantic drama Love Untangled, directed by Namkoong Sun. Set in 1998, the story follows a high school girl as she musters up the courage to confess her crush on a classmate. 

Netflix contends with robust rivals, such as Disney’s (DIS - Free Report) Disney+, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD - Free Report) -owned HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Apple’s (AAPL - Free Report) Apple TV+ and Amazon, potentially putting pressure on NFLX's subscriber growth and profit margins.

As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, Netflix's Asian content strategy could indeed be a catalyst for stock growth, but its full impact remains to be seen. Investors would be wise to closely monitor the performance of Netflix's Asian originals and their effect on subscriber numbers and revenues in the coming quarters.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects substantial growth in paid subscribers, with total paid memberships expected to reach 290.4 million by the end of 2024, indicating an 11.6% year-over-year increase.


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