Author: Samar Khouri

‘Teach You a Lesson’ remained at the top of Netflix’s non-English TV list with 21.1 million views, a sharp increase from 6.4 million in its debut week, and was the most popular title in MENA during its second week on the streamer. Second week performance The action-packed K-drama was the No. 1 show in 46 countries, up from 10 countries during the June 1–7, 2026, viewing period, according to Netflix’s latest weekly tally. Those markets include Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and the UAE, while it also topped the chart in Oman during its second week.…

‘Teach You a Lesson’ debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s non-English TV list with 6.4 million views and ranked among the top 10 shows across the region during the June 1–7, 2026, viewing period. Regional position Released on June 5, the action-packed K-drama ranked among the top 10 shows in 48 countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, and reached No. 1 in 10 countries, including Oman. It recorded 68.7 million hours of viewing time. ‘Teach You a Lesson,’ starring Kim Moo-yul, Lee Sung-min, Jin Ki-joo, and Pyo Ji-hoon, centers on a government…

WAKEONE’s ALPHA DRIVE ONE and izna have partnered with REPUBLIC Collective, a division of Universal Music Group, to accelerate the groups’ international expansion, Partnership deal Under the agreement, REPUBLIC Collective will support both acts’ overseas marketing strategies, album rollouts, and broader global distribution efforts. The partnership is positioned as a key step in strengthening the international presence of both groups as they continue to expand beyond the Korean market, and underscores WAKEONE’s broader strategy of positioning its new-generation acts for sustained international visibility. izna’s ascent Formed through Mnet’s global audition program ‘I-LAND 2,’ izna debuted in November 2024 after being…

Forbes has released the 11th annual edition of its 30 Under 30 Asia list, featuring 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders, artists, athletes, innovators and more across the Asia-Pacific region. The list highlights individuals, all under the age of 30, pushing boundaries in 10 diverse categories that include Consumer & Enterprise Technology, AI, Entertainment & Sports, Social Impact, and Finance & Venture Capital. With 18 countries and territories represented, India has the most entries (78), followed by China (46), Australia (38), Japan (32), and Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea with 18 each. Among those on this year’s 30 Under 30 Asia Entertainment…

Boy band AND2BLE may have only just debuted, but its members are already among the most recognizable young idols in K-pop. Formed by former contestants and winners from Mnet’s hit audition show “Boys Planet” (2023), the five-member group officially launched this week with its debut EP, “Sequence 01: Curiosity.” Unlike many rookie acts starting from scratch, AND2BLE enters the industry with years of stage experience and an established fan base. The group consists of former ZeroBaseOne members Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, and Han Yu-jin, alongside Yoo Seung-eon, formerly of EVNNE. The members previously trained together under YH Entertainment before…

ITZY has officially been confirmed to perform at the 21st edition of the Mawazine Festival in Rabat, Morocco, on June 23. Debut appearance The performance will mark ITZY’s debut in Morocco, MENA, and at the festival itself. JYP Entertainment’s artists will also become the second K-pop girl group to perform at Mawazine, following aespa’s appearance at last year’s edition, further highlighting the festival’s increasing connection with K-pop audiences in MENA. Back in June 2024, ATEEZ made history as the first K-pop act to headline the festival. 2026 lineup Mawazine will once again showcase a mix of global and regional music…

GMM Music and Warner Music have launched GLIIDE, an artist development platform under their GMM Global joint venture aimed at developing artists for international audiences from the start of their careers. The platform moves away from the traditional model of developing artists in a home market before exporting them, instead combining label infrastructure such as global distribution and data analysis with a more integrated creative development process. The first artist on the platform is SVRN, whose music blends pop production with choreography-led performance and a strong visual presentation. His debut single under the platform, “WHY,” was released with a music…

The historical rom-com series ‘My Royal Nemesis,’ starring Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-jun as the star-crossed enemies-to-lovers, debuted at the top of Netflix’s non-English TV list with 3.9 million views, the streamer revealed, and also drew attention in MENA. MENA viewership Released on May 8, the 14-episode show landed in the top 10 in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the UAE, as well as in 36 other countries, during the May 4-10, 2026, viewing period. It was the No. 1 show in Bolivia, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. It also logged 9.3 million hours viewed. Blending…

‘If Wishes Could Kill’ climbed to the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s non-English TV list in its second week of release, adding 4.7 million views from the previous week to reach 7.5 million views globally. Regional success Netflix’s first Korean young-adult horror series was also the top show in 24 countries during the April 27 – May 3, 2026, viewing period. Regionally, it ranked first in Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The series also reached the top 10 in 64 countries and regions, Netflix further revealed in its weekly tally. Blending school-life…

Netflix’s ‘Sold Out on You’ debuted at the top of the non-English TV list with 4.7 million views globally, the streamer revealed in its latest weekly top 10 tally for the April 20-26, 2026, viewing period — and it was a popular watch in the region. Top 10 run The romantic K-drama, starring Ahn Hyo-seop and Chae Won-been, ranked in the top 10 in 42 countries, including Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait, following its April 22 premiere. The 12-part series was also the No.1 show in 8 countries, and recorded 10.3 million hours viewed.…