Australia is to introduce laws requiring streaming platforms to invest a minimum amount of money in homegrown content, the government said on Tuesday.
Platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime and any other streamers with over one million subscribers will have to contribute at least 10% of their local expenditure, or 7.5% of revenue, on Australian content.
Legislation will be introduced to parliament this week and will apply to drama, documentaries, arts and educational programmes.
Arts minister Tony Burke and communications minister Anika Wells said the move would help to protect acting jobs. The streaming services have not yet commented.
We have Australian content requirements on free-to-air television and pay television, but until now, there has been no guarantee that we could see our own stories on streaming services, Burke said.
Since their introduction in Australia, streaming services have created some extraordinary shows. This obligation will ensure that those stories – our stories – continue to be made.
According to the Australian Broadcast Corporation, legislation will be introduced to Parliament this week. The broadcaster said that the new content requirements were meant to be in place by July last year but were delayed due to concerns over their interaction with a free trade agreement with the US.
The government cited difficulties engaging in negotiations with the US while it was holding an election, which complicated the situation.
After the election of President Trump, there were further concerns that the rules could provoke retaliatory tariffs from the US.
Now, with the dust settled and Trump actively suggesting strong ties between Australia and the US, those content regulations are back on the agenda.
While the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and Screen Producers Australia (SPA) welcomed the news, streaming platforms have yet to respond.
Recent Australian shows on platforms like Netflix include Heartbreak High, Territory, and Apple Cider Vinegar. However, like many countries, Australia's creative industries have suffered a downturn in recent years, exacerbated by the production slump during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the financial year 2023-24, investment in feature films and television dramas made in Australia fell by nearly 30%, according to Screen Australia.
Platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime and any other streamers with over one million subscribers will have to contribute at least 10% of their local expenditure, or 7.5% of revenue, on Australian content.
Legislation will be introduced to parliament this week and will apply to drama, documentaries, arts and educational programmes.
Arts minister Tony Burke and communications minister Anika Wells said the move would help to protect acting jobs. The streaming services have not yet commented.
We have Australian content requirements on free-to-air television and pay television, but until now, there has been no guarantee that we could see our own stories on streaming services, Burke said.
Since their introduction in Australia, streaming services have created some extraordinary shows. This obligation will ensure that those stories – our stories – continue to be made.
According to the Australian Broadcast Corporation, legislation will be introduced to Parliament this week. The broadcaster said that the new content requirements were meant to be in place by July last year but were delayed due to concerns over their interaction with a free trade agreement with the US.
The government cited difficulties engaging in negotiations with the US while it was holding an election, which complicated the situation.
After the election of President Trump, there were further concerns that the rules could provoke retaliatory tariffs from the US.
Now, with the dust settled and Trump actively suggesting strong ties between Australia and the US, those content regulations are back on the agenda.
While the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and Screen Producers Australia (SPA) welcomed the news, streaming platforms have yet to respond.
Recent Australian shows on platforms like Netflix include Heartbreak High, Territory, and Apple Cider Vinegar. However, like many countries, Australia's creative industries have suffered a downturn in recent years, exacerbated by the production slump during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the financial year 2023-24, investment in feature films and television dramas made in Australia fell by nearly 30%, according to Screen Australia.
