CJ ENM Expands Into India With Amazon MX Player K-Drama Deal

Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM is making its first major push into India’s streaming market through a new content partnership with Amazon MX Player, the e-commerce giant’s free ad-supported video service.

The deal will see 18 K-drama series from CJ ENM’s catalog made available to Indian audiences with Hindi, Tamil and Telugu-language dubbing. The partnership marks CJ ENM’s first official content package agreement with Amazon’s Indian AVOD platform.

Leading the charge is “Lovely Runner,” the recent romantic hit that sparked a K-pop romance craze, set to debut on the platform Sept. 8. The rollout will continue over four quarters with additional fan-favorite romance titles including “My Lovely Liar,” “Twinkling Watermelon,” “Wedding Impossible” and “Delightfully Deceitful.”

“The demand for global content, especially Korean dramas, has grown exponentially in India,” said Amogh Dusad, director and head of content at Amazon MX Player. “Through this partnership, we’re bringing 18 premium K-dramas — including recent blockbusters — to Indian audiences on AVOD, many of them for the very first time.”

The move represents a significant expansion of CJ ENM’s global distribution strategy, which has seen Korean content gain massive international traction in recent years. The company’s worldwide content push includes its multi-year Prime Video deal revealed in May at the WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai, which brought titles like “Marry My Husband” and “No Gain, No Love” to global audiences, with both ranking among 2024’s top 10 most-watched non-English language international originals for the streamer. The Amazon MX Player partnership now extends that reach specifically to India’s free streaming audience. A Mexico deal was signed in April.

“This launch is very meaningful as we continue to reach new audiences around the world,” said Sebastian Kim, VP of international content business at CJ ENM. “The shows have already proven their strength in story, cast, and production, and I believe they will strongly connect with Indian viewers through our new partnership with MX Player.”