The online streaming universe is expanding, stretching its fingertips across the Atlantic ocean and beyond. People no longer wait for 10– or 15-year-old British sitcoms to be played on U.S. cable networks. It’s a tap away.

“We’re in the age commonly referred to as ‘Peak TV,’ as there are more TV and streaming services with more high-quality programming than ever before,” writer and editor at Channel Guide Magazine Ryan Berenz said, “and much of it is content from overseas watched online or on demand.”

The U.K. television exports reached $1.3 billion in 2011. The U.S. takes first place for U.K.’s largest television export market, a trade association that represents “the commercial interests of UK independent television, film, digital, children’s and animation media companies,” “pact.” said. U.K. TV exports to the U.S. were around £497 million ($651 million) in 2016. In 2017, the total of U.K. TV exports rose 10% to $1.66 billion “Variety” said.

Economically speaking, the U.K.’s TV exports is “significant,” Co-Founder of IHeartBritishTV.com Stefanie Huston said.

Streaming has also made American shows available in other countries. Netflix swam across the pond in 2012, officially becoming available in the U.K., Ireland, and Nordic countries. The sun never sets on Netflix’s empire. According to CNN, Netflix is available in every country except China, North Korea, Syria and Crimea.

“British TV drama, in particular, has radically improved its production values in order to be able to stand alongside U.S. shows,” Total TV Guide Features Editor Graham Kibble-White said, “but also a lot of U.K. productions, like Downton Abbey and Doctor Who, have benefited from co-production money from the States.”

American and British television differ not only in their accents, but within the stars and cast.

Americans tend to have “more young, beautiful, Botox-ed people than ever,” Huston said, “and that makes British TV feel more ‘real’ by comparison. It’s refreshing see to casts full of mostly normal-looking people from every age group.”

Ethnically, however, American television has more shows with mainly non–white cast members such as Black-ish, Empire and Fresh off the Boat which have had rating success in the U.S. for reflecting American society.

“I read a study a while back that said U.S. TV exports to European markets have actually been in decline,” Huston said, “and some of our more diverse shows don’t go over as well there.”

The article she referenced, from “Hollywood Reporter” in March, 2016, quoted president of International Television at Fox Marion Edwards, “These shows are a reflection of our society, but [they are] not a reflection of all societies,” Edwards said.

Senior Vice President at Terry Steiner International Nadja K. Rutkowski said there are more significant reasons that determines a show’s success in a foreign country. Rutkowski grew up in Berlin, Germany and said that if a show is about the Southside of Chicago, someone in Munich may not want to see it. She said this isn’t range diversity the show may have, but the locality of it that makes it harder for someone in another country to relate to.

Rutkowski said that she is “not 100 percent supporting that statement.”

American producers created “Americanized” remakes of hit British TV shows that cater to the American audience: The Office, Shameless, and House of Cards are examples.

“There’s a growing part of the American TV audience that doesn’t want to see adaptations of British shows like they’ve seen in the past with ‘The Office’ and ‘American Idol,’” Berenz said. “There’s a demand for the original, authentic show. No one wanted to watch ‘Gracepoint’ on FOX when the whole first season of the original and far superior Broadchurch was available to stream.”

Social media contributes to foreign media’s popularity growth in the U.S..

“If people on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr are talking about a show and you keep seeing it,” Buzzfeed Junior staff writer Nora Dominick said, “chances are you’ll search for it and find it. That’s happened to me before.”

If Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or HBO doesn’t have the British show that everyone posts about, Acorn or Britbox just might. Now certain streaming services stream British content specifically for American viewers, providing more international options for Americans to view.

Fourteen different genres pop down in American Netflix’s TV shows search bar. One of them is titled “British” TV. According to “IHeartBritishTV.com,” there are currently 121 British TV shows on Netflix. Broken down by genre there are 23 mysteries, 33 comedies, 27 dramas, and 38 documentaries and lifestyle programs.

“Black Mirror on Netflix is one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi TV series ever,” Berenz said. “British shows like Peaky Blinders, The IT Crowd, The Inbetweeners, Shameless, Gavin & Stacey, Toast of London and many others have all gained cult followings in the States, largely due to streaming services.”

The alpha streaming-subscription service fixed its 2018 content spending up to $8 billion. In 2012, their content budget was $2 billion.

“There will always be a competition for eyeballs,” said Board Member of Over the Top TV businesses Intelivideo and Granite Broadcasting Peter Markham. “Nowadays there is so much demand for streaming services to overload content.”

Binging also plays a role in this culture clash. People like to sit behind their screen and watch an entire series in one sitting.

“British TV series also typically have fewer episodes per season,” Berenz said, “which makes them perfect for binge viewing, and Americans are embracing that.”

Berenz said the perception that foreign TV programming is “inaccessible, high brow or pretentious” still lingers among many Americans. Many are typically hesitant to watch a show with English-subtitles. However, that is changing.

England is not the only country making its mark in American media. Spanish show La Casa de Papel ranks most popular foreign language TV show on American Netflix, and second place goes to the German hit Dark, according to “Forbes”.

“Good storytelling is good storytelling no matter the language or country of origin,” Berenz said, “and Americans now have a tremendous opportunity to see what the rest of the world has to offer.”