Australia is considering introducing a draft law that would require streaming giants to spend a certain amount of their revenue on producing "purely Australian" shows and films.
The Australian government is planning to force international streaming services to pay for local Australian content.
Specifically, Canberra is considering introducing a new draft law, requiring "streaming" giants like Netflix, Disney and Amazon to set aside a certain amount of revenue to invest in the production of "purely Australian" shows and films.
The draft is currently being researched by the Australian Department of the Arts and is being consulted by relevant parties, including international online broadcasting channels and representatives of the Australian film and television industry, with the expectation that the draft law will soon be completed and passed, so that it can be applied from mid-2024.
Free-to-air channels have long been forced to comply with quotas on broadcasting local content, according to Australian film and television industry representatives.
Meanwhile, this regulation does not apply to online broadcasting channels and the percentage of local content programming is getting smaller and smaller on these channels.
While the streaming sector has become Australia's most important television content sector in 2021-2022, spending more than AU$330 million ($215 million) on the local industry, local arts producers say this still falls short of the revenue the streaming giants receive in the Australian market.
They want Netflix, Disney and Amazon... to commit to funding 20% of their "earned" revenue from the Australian market, thereby further promoting programs with local content.
Speaking to reporters on January 29, Australian Arts Minister Tony Burke said the draft law is part of a new National Cultural Policy that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government is expected to announce on January 30, with nearly 300 million AUD (192 million USD) dedicated to developing indigenous culture.
Canberra hopes to finalise the details of the legislation by mid-year, before introducing it to Parliament later this year and bringing it into force in July 2024.
According to VNA