Netflix’s ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Tops All-Time Views

Netflix’s animated series K-Pop Demon Hunters (KDH) has surpassed Squid Game Season 1 to become the most-watched content in Netflix history.

According to Netflix’s official site, Tudum, KDH’s cumulative view count reached 266 million as of Sept. 3. This surpasses the previous top two titles, Squid Game Season 1 (265.2 million) and Wednesday Season 1 (252.1 million). With this, KDH has become the most-watched Netflix title across both movies and series.

KDH’s record is expected to remain unchallenged for some time. Netflix measures cumulative viewership over a 91-day period following a title’s release to determine the most-watched movies and shows. Since KDH premiered on June 20, there are still two weeks left in the tracking period, which could push total views beyond 300 million.

The popularity of KDH’s original soundtrack (OST) remains strong. Billboard reported on Sept. 2 that the track “Golden” remained at No. 1 on the Hot 100 singles chart, as it had the previous week. This marks the third nonconsecutive week that “Golden” has topped the chart.

As of last week, 12 K-pop songs were on the Billboard Hot 100. Eight of these were KDH OST tracks, including “Golden,” Your Idol (No. 4), "Soda Pop" (No. 5), and "How It’s Done" (No. 10). This week, Stray Kids’ “CEREMONY” debuted at No. 52, potentially raising the total number of K-pop entries on the chart to 13.

The artists behind “Golden” have also been invited to major U.S. music awards. According to the official X account for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA), singers Lee Jae, Ray Ami, and Audrey Nuna, who perform as the in-series girl group HuntRix, will appear as presenters at the awards show on Sept. 7 at UBS Arena in New York. In a video posted by the VMA, Lee Jae said, “We are thrilled to be participating, and we hope to see everyone at the ceremony.”


김태언 기자 beborn@donga.com