Netflix’s Argentine sci-fi drama The Eternaut was more than a regional hit in 2025. At Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid, Parrot Analytics offered a subscriber-level read on its impact, and the numbers make a local-language title look like a global acquisition tool.
Jaime Otero, vice-president of partnerships at Parrot Analytics, presented the estimates during the session Content Without Borders: How to Win Over Audiences and Markets. His team estimated that the series added 236,000 Netflix subscribers, drove roughly 2.78 million renewals, and engaged 3.01 million global subscribers.
The series, set in Buenos Aires after a toxic snowfall and an invisible threat, was the top Spanish- and Portuguese-language title of 2025 in Parrot’s demand view. A second season is in the works.
The bigger signal: demand has crossed borders
The subscriber estimate is only part of the story. For the first time, Parrot said, non-SPLATAM markets accounted for the majority of global demand for SPLATAM content in 2025. That inverts a long-standing assumption: Spanish- and Portuguese-language shows no longer rely on their home markets for most of their audience pull.
Otero highlighted the fastest-growing export markets between 2024 and 2026:
- South Korea: +243% demand growth
- Japan: +148%
- Turkey: +132%
- China: +119%
- Sweden: +103%
He also pointed to South Korea as a key driver of demand growth for Spanish- and Portuguese-language content.
Why the estimate matters for buyers and planners
Subscriber additions get attention, but renewals are the more instructive number here. Parrot’s estimate of 2.78 million renewals tied to a single title suggests retention, not just trial, is part of the local-language value equation. For a platform, a show that keeps existing members active can be as valuable as one that brings in new sign-ups.
Media planners and entertainment marketers should treat these estimates as directional rather than official Netflix reporting. Parrot’s model is built on demand signals; its subscriber estimates are not company disclosures. The useful takeaway is leverage: when a title travels, it can justify higher licensing bids, wider promotion, and marketing spend in markets that historically were treated as secondary.
What to watch next
The non-SPLATAM majority is a one-year milestone worth tracking. If Korea and Japan continue to grow at triple-digit rates, commissioning and acquisition teams may start treating Spanish-language IP as a pan-regional export product, not a niche import. The test will be whether a second season of The Eternaut sustains or deepens those demand curves.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
