One of the Winter 2026 season's biggest anime, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, has hit a snag for Netflix subscribers outside of Asia. The streaming giant announced via its official channels that the new season will simulcast on the platform beginning January 9th, but availability is restricted to select Asian markets, including India and Southeast Asia. Check out the official X post below:
Crunchyroll will be stepping in as the primary destination for international audiences, with the season premiering on January 8th alongside a double episode launch to kick off the Culling Game arc. This deadly battle royale, orchestrated by the villainous Kenjaku, forces Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and allies into nationwide chaos following the devastating Shibuya Incident. Early glimpses from the compilation film Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution have already teased intensified action and new characters set to shake up the story. Check out the trailer here:
The regional split underscores ongoing fragmentation in anime licensing. While Netflix has secured rights in parts of Asia. Which is consistent with its handling of previous seasons there. Crunchyroll holds exclusive simulcast rights outside those territories. This leaves Western Netflix users without weekly access, a recurring pain point for the platform's anime strategy.
Netflix's anime performance remains robust despite the gap. Reports from 2023 pegged its anime streaming revenue at over $2 billion, nearly double Crunchyroll's haul and representing a significant slice of global totals. Viewership data from the first half of 2025 showed 4.4 billion hours watched, growing faster than other categories. Yet, the Winter 2026 lineup for North America appears thin, with Pokémon Horizons Season 3 leading a small slate compared to Crunchyroll's expansive catalog of over 50 titles, including heavyweights like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 and Oshi no Ko Season 3.
Looking ahead, Netflix is bolstering its exclusives with major acquisitions. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run arrives March 19th as a global exclusive, adapting the fan-favorite Part 7 with a fresh take on the iconic franchise. The platform also continues investing in One Piece properties, including additional episodes of the original series and the highly anticipated remake, The One Piece, produced by WIT Studio for a modern retelling of the East Blue Saga. Sakamoto Days Season 2 builds on its 2025 success as another strong performer.
These moves signal Netflix's commitment to anime as a growth driver, even as simulcast rights for blockbuster shonen like Jujutsu Kaisen elude it in key markets. For now, international fans eager for weekly drops of the Culling Game's high stakes battles and duels will need Crunchyroll, while Asian Netflix users get the convenience of their preferred platform. As licensing battles evolve, the divide highlights the competitive landscape shaping how global audiences experience anime's biggest releases.
What are your thoughts on the article? Do you think Netflix should push harder to expand its collection to win over anime fans? Let us know what anime you are watching this Winter 2026 season in the comments below!