U.S. streaming trade slams CRTC guidelines for Canadian content material funding – Nationwide
The trade foyer group representing massive American streaming providers slammed new income guidelines on Friday forcing them to spend money on Canadian content material whereas some Canadian trade organizations mentioned the principles are consistent with what this nation has required for many years.
The teams are reacting after Canada’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, mentioned Thursday giant TV streaming providers should contribute 15 per cent of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content material.
That’s thrice the preliminary contribution requirement the CRTC set out in 2024, which is being challenged in courtroom by streamers together with Apple, Amazon and Spotify.
The CRTC made the selections as a part of its implementation of the On-line Streaming Act, which the US has recognized as a commerce irritant forward of negotiations with Canada.
The Movement Image Affiliation, the U.S. group representing streamers together with Netflix and Prime Video, mentioned the brand new guidelines impose unprecedented, pointless and discriminatory funding obligations on U.S. streaming providers.
It mentioned it should triple the price of doing enterprise in Canada and known as on the federal authorities to rethink.
“American studios and streaming providers are already the highest international buyers in Canada’s movie and TV ecosystem — delivering content material to Canadian audiences and sharing Canadian tales with the world,” the group wrote in a media assertion.
The Canadian Media Producers Affiliation, a nationwide advocacy physique for unbiased media producers, nevertheless, mentioned the principles are largely consistent with federal broadcasting coverage for generations.
Get every day Nationwide information
Get every day Canada information delivered to your inbox so you will by no means miss the day’s prime tales.
In a press release launched on Friday, it mentioned the CRTC’s choices “mirror the underlying philosophy of the On-line Streaming Act, particularly that broadcasters and streaming providers that generate important revenues from Canadian subscribers and viewers should additionally spend money on Canadian programming.”
The group mentioned they’re reviewing the modifications and can work to make sure they allow Canadian producers to proceed making contributions to Canadian programming.
ACTRA Toronto, the union representing performers in movie, radio and TV, additionally expressed assist for the CRTC’s determination.
“Choices to strengthen assist for Indigenous and Canadian content material and to enhance discoverability are a step in the appropriate route. For ACTRA Toronto performers, this has the potential to generate new alternatives, strengthen home manufacturing, and assist guarantee Canadian audiences proceed to see themselves mirrored on display screen,” mentioned ACTRA Toronto president Kate Ziegler.
“Nevertheless, funding formulation usually are not the one determinant issue.”
Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller mentioned in a social media submit Thursday he’s reviewing the CRTC’s determination.
“As we rigorously assess its impacts, it should at all times be paramount to make sure that Canadians proceed to see themselves mirrored on display screen, hear Canadian voices, and have a good time what makes this nation distinctive,” he wrote.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, mentioned the CRTC’s determination “is making a foul scenario worse.”
“CRTC is concentrating on and taxing U.S. firms, placing up new, discriminatory commerce boundaries, and worsening the funding local weather for American companies,” he wrote on social media.
The CRTC’s new guidelines additionally change the contribution necessities for conventional broadcasters. At present paying between 30 and 45 per cent, these charges can be lowered to 25 per cent.
The CRTC additionally set out guidelines on how the cash should be spent for each streamers and broadcasters, together with contributions towards manufacturing funds and direct spending on Canadian content material.
A lot of the streamers’ monetary contributions can go towards content material, although the CRTC is imposing guidelines on how that cash should be spent for the most important streamers.
As an example, streamers with Canadian revenues of greater than $100 million yearly should direct 30 per cent of spending towards partnerships with Canadian broadcasters and unbiased producers.
Massive Canadian broadcasters must direct not less than 15 per cent of their contributions towards information.
— With information from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
© 2026 The Canadian Press
