A new report from Ampere Analysis has highlighted a the growing demand for foreign language content in English-speaking markets.
According to the London-based consultancy, the number of consumers reporting they often watch international content has increased by nearly a quarter over the last four years.
“This offers multiple advantages for streamers facing economic pressures,” says Annabel Yeomans, Research Manager at Ampere. “They can investigate markets with lower production costs and focus on productions in newer streaming markets to grow subscriptions while catering to their existing subscriber base.”
The way foreign language content is watched also differs in some markets. In France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, there is a strong preference for dubbing, which is reflected in the availability of dubbed content in these languages on video services.
Yet while certain markets show preferences for dubbed content, others – like the Nordic territories and the Netherlands – have a strong preference for subtitling. This reflects a mix of the lower historical availability of TV shows and movies dubbed into local languages, but also – in many cases – strong English-language skills.
“Developments in AI technology for subtitling and dubbing make it easier than ever for platforms to offer TV shows and movies on a global scale,” adds Yeomans.
Regular viewing of international (non-English language) TV shows and movies has increased by 24% among 18 to 64-year-olds in the UK, United, Australia, and Canada in since Q1 2020.
54% of Internet users in these markets claimed to watch non-English language content “very often” or “sometimes” – up from 43% since the start of 2020. This is despite titles from primarily Anglophone markets like the United States typically making up the bulk of global streaming libraries
Foreign language content is particularly popular among 18 to 34-year-olds in English-speaking markets, with 66% of this age group regularly watching. However, growth is strongest among older age groups, with frequent viewing increasing by more than one-third among 45 to 64-year-olds in the last four years (up from 30% to 41%).
The move towards foreign language content consumption by older consumers reflects growth in the adoption of streaming services, which offer greater volumes of international content than their broadcast counterparts.
