In an effort to boost Germany’s film industry, the government is pushing a plan to demand that streaming platforms invest at least part of their revenue in making productions locally.
The German government said Thursday it was planning to make streaming platforms invest at least eight percent of income earned in Germany to support local film and TV production.
As well as streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+, the new requirement will also apply to German TV channels, which have faced some criticism for moving production to cheaper locations in eastern Europe.
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said he hoped the plan would help create “reliable, internationally competitive conditions” for the German audiovisual sector.
There would also be a requirement for a minimum amount of German-language content, although firms which invest more than 12 percent of revenue in local production will be exempt from this.
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Germany is following the lead of countries such as France, which since 2021 has required streaming platforms to dedicate at least 20 percent of their revenue in France to financing original European or Francophone production.
As well as the investment requirement, the plan presented Thursday also includes a boost to public financing of German cinema, which will double to reach 250 million euros per year.
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said that the extra funding will “secure jobs” in the German film industry.
“We want to strengthen Germany’s wonderful film scene and create a top location” for creating film and television, Klingbeil said.
The proposals are expected to quickly be signed off by the cabinet and will then be sent to parliament for approval.
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