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Australia to Introduce Streaming Quotas Requiring Major Platforms to Fund Local Content

The long-delayed bill sets a binding investment floor to bolster Australian storytelling on dominant streaming platforms.

Overview

  • The government will introduce legislation this week requiring services with more than one million Australian subscribers to allocate at least 10% of local expenditure or 7.5% of local revenue to new Australian drama, children's, documentary, arts and educational programs.
  • The obligation will cover Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, with Stan and Paramount+ included if they meet the subscriber threshold.
  • Ministers Tony Burke and Anika Wells framed the move as ensuring Australians can find local stories on streaming services while supporting jobs across the screen sector.
  • Screen Producers Australia and the Australian Writers' Guild welcomed the plan as a long-awaited step for the industry, while no immediate formal responses were reported from the major streamers.
  • The start date was previously delayed over AustraliaUS trade treaty concerns, and implementation details will be finalized in parliament, with reporting estimating roughly A$97.5m–A$125m annually for Netflix depending on the chosen compliance model.