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Canada The Almighty Buck

Major Streamers Must Pay 15% of Revenues To Canadian Content, CRTC Says (globalnews.ca) 61

Canada's broadcast regulator says major streaming services such as Netflix must contribute 15% of their Canadian revenues to Canadian and Indigenous content. "That's three times the five-per-cent initial contribution requirement the CRTC set out in 2024, which is being challenged in court by major streamers, including Apple and Amazon," reports Global News. "Contribution requirements for traditional broadcasters, which currently pay between 30 and 45 percent, will be lowered to 25 percent." From the report: "The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news," the regulator said in a press release. The CRTC made the decisions as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which the U.S. has identified as a trade irritant ahead of trade negotiations with Canada.

The CRTC also set out rules on how the money must be spent for both streamers and broadcasters, including contributions toward production funds and direct spending on Canadian content. Most of the streamers' financial contributions can go toward content, though the CRTC is imposing rules on how that money must be spent for the largest streamers. For instance, streamers with Canadian revenues of more than $100 million annually must direct 30 percent of spending toward partnerships with Canadian broadcasters and independent producers. Large Canadian broadcasters will have to direct at least 15 percent of their contributions toward news.

The new financial contribution rules apply to streamers and broadcasters with at least $25 million in annual Canadian broadcasting revenues. The decision covers audiovisual programming, meaning it affects traditional TV broadcasters and online services that stream television content. The regulator also said Thursday online streamers will have to take steps to ensure Canadian and Indigenous content is available and visible to audiences. "This will make it easier for people to find this content on the platforms they use, while giving broadcasters flexibility in how they meet the new expectations," the CRTC said in the release. Details of those requirements will be determined at a later time.

Major Streamers Must Pay 15% of Revenues To Canadian Content, CRTC Says

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  • Half of "Hollywood" content is filmed in Vancouver BC anyways. Problem solved!

    • by jonwil ( 467024 )

      Just making the content in Canada is not enough, its about "preserving Canadian culture" or some BS...

      • Re:Vancouver BC (Score:5, Interesting)

        by PPH ( 736903 ) on Friday May 22, 2026 @06:45PM (#66156480)

        Welcome to Netflix's new streaming channel: Bob and Doug McKenzie , 24 hours per day.

      • by Tyr07 ( 8900565 )

        Minority cultures, you mean.

      • Re:Vancouver BC (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Friday May 22, 2026 @07:26PM (#66156552)

        I look to the south, and if a bit of Canadian cultural propaganda is required to counter the stuff that's been coming out of Hollywood for the last century... OK.

        We value education more, guns less. We value cooperation more, greed less. We're OK with single-payer healthcare instead of letting the rich at the top get richer bleeding us to death, and you're not going to convince us that's wrong because somebody else is getting healthcare 'for free'.

        There's a reason so many Americans have recently discovered their Canadian roots and want our passport, and it's not because things are going well in the US.

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          We value education more, guns less. We value cooperation more, greed less.

          Good luck with all that.

          You are going to value what your mullahs value. Because replacement isn't a "theory", it's just math. All it takes is time.

          And they don't value your list of stuff. At all.

          • You are going to value what your mullahs value. Because replacement isn't a "theory", it's just math.

            Are you suggesting that people migrate to a place to destroy it instead of because they like to adopt the lifecycle of that place? What a strange theory. I mean that's incredibly racist of you obviously, but even for a racist it's a strange theory.

            I have many Muslim friends of my own. They value education, co-operation, healthcare, and have no interest in guns. They are perfectly normal people except for the fact that their beard and choice of imaginary friend offends shitcunts like you.

            • I mean that's incredibly racist of you obviously, but even for a racist it's a strange theory.

              You think that religious beliefs and behaviors are a race?

            • Are you suggesting that people migrate to a place to destroy it instead of because they like to adopt the lifecycle of that place?

              People have multiple reasons to move to a different place. One of them is money - if the person can earn more money in another country, he moves there.

              People also do not change very quickly. If someone comes from a country where it is considered OK to dump trash in a river, he likely won't change his mind after moving. He will likely obey the law that says "do not dump trash in a river" to not get punished, but he may consider the law to be stupid and would still be more likely to dump trash in a river if h

    • by brunes69 ( 86786 )

      Not really. Canadian content laws are super, over-ridiculously complicated. Where something is shot is of little consequence.

  • But I'm Canadian. I'm happy for it. Put it in my bill, streamers, happy to pay it.

    • by dskoll ( 99328 )

      Canadian too, and I agree with it. Supporting Canadian talent is worthwhile.

      Though... I don't subscribe to any streaming services...

  • by LondoMollari ( 172563 ) on Friday May 22, 2026 @06:28PM (#66156468) Homepage

    Canadians will end up paying their own taxes and streaming will become more expensive for all in Canada.

    • Why would they stop at Canadians? They can raise 15% across-the-board and pocket the surplus, which is what they do every 2 years anyway.

      Some here on Slashdot would tell you this is not only likely, but a legally required outcome. Something about obligations to shareholders.

    • There used to be this thing called competition that kept prices down. I know it sounds crazy but we had that.
    • I only watch pirated streaming content! Does that mean I can get paid 15% of Netflix's contributions?
    • Canadians will end up paying their own taxes and streaming will become more expensive for all in Canada.

      That's fine.

      If we don't support our media we're going to lose our national identity.

    • Canadians will end up paying their own taxes and streaming will become more expensive for all in Canada.

      Streaming prices between countries which have and haven't implemented similar rules haven't changed. France with the strictest rules pays the same as the Netherlands which has similar rules to Spain, who pay the same as Germany with no rules. These are on top of the EU bloc's 30% content requirement which didn't change the cost. Netflix in Australia and in New Zealand changed prices in tandem along with the rest of the world without significant difference despite Australia requiring something similar to wha

  • Governments always talk about contributions and such like paying is optional. This is a tax and that is what government does, tax anything that moves until it is dead. Then move on to their next victim.
    • Whereas corporations are so benevolent and spend sleepless nights worrying about providing their customers with the best possible value while never cutting corners, putting people in danger, causing environmental damage or being a detriment to society...
  • ... as a trade irritant ...

    Translation: ... as obstructing US imperialism .... The Canadian authority levied a fee at 1/6th the cost paid by competitors and wealthy US corporations complained, do I have that correct: So the authority tripled the fee for protecting Canadian culture. Now, the US corporations must pay half (soon to be 60%) of what their competitors must pay.

    But what's happening in the courts? Has the court issued a preliminary opinion on US money-grubbing?

    • Canadian here. Wow amazing where your brain took this - I don’t really care about any culture differences in what I watch on Netflix and this is just cranking up the cost. What you think of as “preserving culture” is actually creating a slush fund to fund the government preferred political, not cultural, friends. The CRTC and this decision is led by lifetime bureaucrats, none who have any industry experience, and it shows. The CRTC is the most incompetent and out of touch govt agency here
  • others call it levies...this way we pay so some rich folk can continue to lobby the elected.

  • ... as imaginary as the mass indigenous graves?

    Yeah, yeah, troll, off topic, blah blah ... I just find the whole mass psychosis phenomenon fascinating. And yes, this is a part of it - "I know, we can impose a special streaming tax to support the holy indigenous!"

    • ... as imaginary as the mass indigenous graves?

      Yeah, yeah, troll, off topic, blah blah ... I just find the whole mass psychosis phenomenon fascinating. And yes, this is a part of it - "I know, we can impose a special streaming tax to support the holy indigenous!"

      So... a couple things that might be useful to re-align your head with reality.

      Most on-topic, this isn't about indigenous content, and it's a bit of a red-flag that you think it is and that you'd think it problematic if it were. The sarcastic "holy" also strongly outs you as a racist. Just in case you weren't intending to broadcast that, you are. This is about Canadian content. That varies from things like Letterkenny to This Hour Has Tweny-Two Minutes. Yes, Canadian productions can and should include

      • The sarcastic "holy" also strongly outs you as a racist.

        I see ... so failing to believe that indigenous people are holy makes me the racist.

        Well, I can't argue with that logic ...

  • Everyone is on the take anyway. If this gets any Canadian money I'm all for it. It's far more honorable than mobile phones made in China or Bitcoin.
  • Look for a 15% price increase to Canadian subscribers.

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