Television has gone global in a way that would have seemed impossible not long ago. Series produced far from the traditional centres of the industry now find audiences around the world, and the barriers that once confined shows to their home markets have largely fallen. International television has become a genuine force.
Streaming has been the great enabler. By making series from around the world instantly available and easily discovered, the platforms have dissolved the old geographic limits, allowing a show from one country to become a phenomenon in dozens of others. Audiences have proved far more willing to watch across languages and cultures than the industry once assumed.
The consequences are significant. The success of international series has drawn investment and attention to production centres far from the traditional hubs, and stories once considered too local to travel now reach global audiences. The definition of what makes commercial television has broadened considerably.
What the shift reveals is an appetite for stories regardless of where they originate. Audiences have shown that a compelling series will find them whatever its language, and the industry has responded by looking further afield for the next breakthrough. International television is no longer a niche but a central part of the global entertainment landscape, and its rise has changed the medium for good.