Germany is to introduce investment obligations for streaming platforms and TV broadcasters.
The German government will require TV broadcasters as well as streamers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ to invest at least 8% of their German revenues into German-language and European productions.
Streamers will also be obligated to give certain rights to producers, eliminating the standard work-for-hire model.
If the streaming platforms and broadcasters spend more than 12% of their revenues on local productions, they will be exempt from complex regulations obliging them to, for example, produce films in the German language.
In addition, the government has agreed to increase funding for film production to €250m ($295.2m) a year, nearly double its previous level.
"This is not a symbol, but a real investment stimulus: for jobs, value creation, and creative excellence," said Wolfram Weimer, Germany’s Commissioner for Culture and the Media, in a statement.
Germany joins a number of other European countries, including France, Spain, Denmark, and Italy, that now insist streamers invest in local production.
"Now the ball is in the court of the streamers and broadcasters on the one hand, and the producers on the other," said Weimer.
Vaunet, the organisation that represents major commercial broadcasters and streamers in the German market, described the move as “a bitter disappointment for the media industry and ignores existing commitments from streaming providers”
HBO Max has signed a distribution deal with leading German streamer RTL+ ahead of its launch in Germany on January 13. Discover more here.
HBO Max to launch in UK and Ireland on March 26
Warner Bros. Discovery is to launch its streaming service HBO Max in the UK and Ireland on 26 March 2026.
5G broadcast trials underway at Winter Olympics
Italian public service broadcaster Rai and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are conducting new 5G broadcast trials during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which run from 6-22 February 2026.
Channel 4 unveils coverage plans for 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Channel 4 has unveiled the plans for its coverage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
BBC and C4 should forge ‘deeper’ ties, says UK creative industries minister
The UK’s BBC and Channel 4 should forge closer ties in an effort to compete with global streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix, according to Ian Murray, the UK’s Minister for the Creative Industries.
Paramount CEO David Ellison pens open letter to UK creative sector
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance, has written an open letter to the UK creative community setting out a series of commitments should Paramount succeed in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery.
