Highlights
- The Netflix and MAPPA partnership establishes a new co-development model, granting the studio total creative leadership.
- Fueled by 1 billion annual views, the partnership ensures the studio's upcoming original slate premieres exclusively to global audiences.
- The Netflix and MAPPA partnership is accelerating the production of bold, unannounced major projects.
In a move poised to reshape the global animation landscape, a groundbreaking Netflix and MAPPA partnership was officially announced on Jan 21, 2026. This expanded alliance with the powerhouse Japanese studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man goes far beyond a standard licensing agreement. It establishes a new "world-class animation studio model" where the two giants will co-develop content from the very concept phase. For fans, the immediate takeaway is exciting as MAPPA’s upcoming slate of original titles will premiere exclusively on Netflix, launching to audiences worldwide.
The Netflix and MAPPA partnership represents a significant shift in how anime is traditionally created and monetized. By partnering directly, MAPPA secures a position as a primary stakeholder, granting the studio significantly more financial independence and creative freedom. The agreement ensures that the studio won’t just be executing animation orders for others; they will lead projects entirely, handling everything from story development to merchandise and global demand analysis.
The decision to double down on anime is driven by undeniable viewership data that highlights the genre's explosive growth. In 2024 alone, anime titles on Netflix generated over 1 billion views globally. Internal metrics reveal that viewership for the genre has tripled over the last five years, with more than half of the platform’s million-plus subscribers now actively watching anime. This surge has made Japanese content the second most-watched category on the platform globally, trailing only English-language shows. The appetite for these stories is voracious, evidenced by the fact that 33 different anime titles broke into Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) rankings in 2024.
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Strategic Vision for the Netflix and MAPPA Partnership
Manabu Otsuka, President and CEO of MAPPA, views this partnership as a necessary evolution for the medium. He emphasized that Japanese animation studios need to proactively lead every stage of the business, from understanding global audience needs to expanding related businesses like merchandising.
Otsuka noted that while they have worked with Netflix before, this deeper collaboration is rooted in MAPPA's core belief in being an independent studio, both creatively and financially. The goal is a long-term, win-win relationship that allows the studio to invest heavily in top-tier talent and technology without the financial instability that often plagues the industry.
Netflix and MAPPA are building this future on a foundation of proven success. The two companies have already collaborated on popular titles such as Kakegurui Twin and the 2024 adaptation of Ranma 1/2. On the other hand, Kaata Sakamoto, Netflix’s Vice President of Content for Japan, has also praised MAPPA as a remarkable studio that consistently takes on bold challenges. He noted that by combining MAPPA’s unique, risk-taking creativity with Netflix’s massive global reach, they hope to pioneer new frontiers in anime expression.
With stable funding and a guaranteed global pipeline now in place, the collaboration is already accelerating the planning and production of several unannounced major projects. Together with MAPPA, Netflix aims to bring more original anime from Japan to the world, broaden opportunities for creative collaboration, and pioneer new frontiers in anime expression.
