Prime Video and CJ ENM strike deal to flood India with Korean drama

MUMBAI: Prime Video India and CJ ENM, the Korean entertainment powerhouse, have signed a multi-year distribution deal that will bring over 100 titles to Indian audiences over the next two years, including 26 brand new releases. The agreement builds on an existing global partnership between the two firms and, judging by the enthusiasm on display at its Mumbai unveiling, represents the moment Prime Video decided that Korean content in India deserved its own dedicated push rather than a slice of a worldwide deal.

Shilangi Mukherji, director and head, SVOD business, at Prime Video India, framed the collaboration as a natural next step. “Building on our strong global relationship with CJ ENM and the deal announced last year, we’re excited to deepen this collaboration with a sharper focus on India,” she said, adding that “compelling narratives, diverse genres, and memorable characters that transcend borders have fuelled a K-content wave that continues to gain momentum year on year.” At the announcement event itself, she was characteristically blunt about why the timing made sense: “the world of entertainment has fundamentally changed. Today, we’re living in an era where the best stories win, regardless of where they come from, or which language they’re told in.” She pointed to the streaming platform’s own data as the clincher, noting that “Korean content is among the most engaging international programming on our server. Our customers are willing to tell us clearly that they want more.”

The content pipeline itself reads like a greatest-hits reel. It kicks off with Yumi’s Cells season three, a franchise that has topped charts in 81 countries including America, Brazil, France and the UAE, alongside Filing for Love, which ranked number one in 105 countries, the breakout hit The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, and the romantic comedy My Bias, My Boss. Manish Menghani, director and head of content licensing at Prime Video India, said the studio’s pedigree made the choice of partner obvious: “CJ ENM is one of the biggest entertainment studios in Korea, with an expansive library of much-loved titles such as Legend of the Blue Sea, Prison Playbook, Mother, and A Practical Guide to Love, among several others.” He added that “the surge in popularity of K-content is undeniable,” and called the deal “not only the natural step forward, backed by customer preferences, but also a reflection of commitment to making Prime Video India the go-to destination for the best international content.” At the event, he had gone further, laying out the sheer cadence involved: “100 plus titles across two years means one title a week,” and pointing to the format’s cultural resonance, recounting a story about a 13th century Indian princess who married a Korean prince, adding that “it almost feels like home.”

From CJ ENM’s side, Jangho Seo, executive vice president of the platform division, called Prime Video’s local reach decisive. “Prime Video’s unmatched reach in India, combined with its deep investment in local audiences, makes it the ideal partner to amplify our content to millions of new viewers,” he said, describing the tie-up as reflecting the studio’s “ongoing commitment to expanding the global reach of Korean storytelling.” At the press conference that followed, he was candid about how tough India had been to crack until recently, noting the firm had “been in contact for more than 20 years” but that breaking in “wasn’t really easy” given the strength of local content, before adding that shared values around “family, friendship, love” gave Korean stories a genuine shot with Indian viewers, alongside a promise to push beyond romance into “speedy action genre” and thrillers.

The commercial logic holds up beyond the star power. Every new and upcoming title will carry English subtitles plus dubbing in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, a decision Menghani said was driven by hard data showing Telugu audiences, somewhat unexpectedly, among the strongest overlap markets for Korean content consumption. Executives were coy on the deal’s value, with Menghani deflecting a direct question at the press conference by arguing “you can never put a money value” on the partnership, while Seo called the India-specific extension proof the relationship had reached “even further level.” What is measurable is the ambition: a title landing roughly every week for two years, available to Prime members at no extra cost, in a market the streamer clearly now regards as central rather than peripheral to its Korean content strategy.