Mapping the ASEAN Wave: A Catalog Analysis of ASEAN Content on Netflix

Abstract

In investigating the emerging scholarship called ASEAN Wave, which first appeared in 2019 at the inaugural issue of the ASEAN-Korea Journal, this study aims to expand the literature by problematizing the state of ASEAN audiovisual content on the global streaming platform Netflix. By using catalog analysis to examine 1047 Southeast Asian titles present in the platform from April 14 to May 7, 2022, and by dissecting the Netflix Top 10 data covering 43 weeks from July 4, 2021 to May 1, 2022, findings suggest that there are very few ASEAN titles available in the region amounting to only 2-10% on the catalogs of six ASEAN Member States (AMS), and four countries with only one or no content available. Additionally, this study revealed the status of USA films and South Korean TV shows as the most viewed content in the region dominating the Top 10 lists of all AMS Netflix catalogs. These findings imply that the ASEAN audiovisual media does not fare well in Netflix, and as a response, this study proposes recommendations with the hopes of developing the ASEAN audiovisual media industry as a leading component of the ASEAN Wave, and as a potential competitor of two opposing cultural waves: USA’s Hollywood and South Korea’s Hallyu. Lastly, this study proposes future directions for ASEANOLOGY scholars on how to further advance studies on the ASEAN Wave, and eventually help in the realization of the ASEAN Community.