Netflix Superhit Smashes Another Viewing Milestone Ahead of Its One-Year Anniversary

KPop Demon Hunters is still going strong on Netflix, and it’s not slowing down even as it approaches its one-year anniversary. The movie has now passed a huge milestone, reaching 1 billion viewing hours worldwide on the platform. At the same time, there are signs it might be heading back to cinemas again.

The latest update comes from Netflix viewing data and industry reporting that tracks streaming performance week by week.

According to those numbers, the film first made a solid but not explosive start when it launched in June 2025, pulling in 15.4 million hours watched in its first week. That was enough for second place, but nothing suggested it would become a global hit at that point.

Things changed quickly. In its second week, viewership jumped by 162 percent, rising to 40.3 million hours watched and reaching number one on Netflix’s global charts. From there, the movie didn’t drop off like most releases. Instead, it stayed consistently strong for weeks, holding over 37 million hours watched for a long stretch.

The film’s biggest peak came in its eleventh week, when it hit 50.2 million hours watched. Even after that peak, it kept performing at a high level. By week 20, it was still getting 23.3 million hours and remained near the top of the charts globally.

Over time, its performance has stayed unusually steady. Most Netflix films fall out of the top rankings within a few weeks, but KPop Demon Hunters stayed in the global Top 10 for 46 weeks. It also spent 9 weeks at number one and 29 weeks in the Top 3. As of its 46th week, it is still sitting at number 5 worldwide with 6.5 million hours watched.

The data shows something rare for streaming platforms: the movie is not fading quickly. Even after almost a year, it is still keeping about 42 percent of its early audience levels. That kind of slow decline is unusual for Netflix releases, which usually lose most of their viewership within the first couple of months.

There were also small boosts in viewership during the holiday season. Around weeks 28 and 29, the film actually saw increases instead of drops, suggesting it became a repeat watch for families during that period.

On top of the streaming success, there may also be another theatrical run coming. Cineworld, a UK cinema chain, posted that it is bringing back the sing-along version of the movie in theaters ahead of its one-year anniversary in June. This is already the third time the film has returned to cinemas in some form.

No official wide theatrical relaunch has been confirmed yet, especially outside the UK, but the listing has raised speculation that Netflix could be planning another limited release as part of the anniversary push.

The film’s continued popularity has also led to more expansion beyond streaming. Netflix has already confirmed a sequel is in development, although it is expected to take several years to arrive. There have also been reports of additional content being planned, including an official art book and a comic book adaptation.

With a sequel on the way, ongoing merchandise releases, and strong long-term streaming numbers, KPop Demon Hunters has moved far beyond a typical Netflix release. Even nearly a year later, it is still one of the platform’s most watched titles globally, and it continues to grow in ways most streaming films do not.

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