Australia's Streaming Quotas Become Law (deadline.com)
- Reference: 0180231607
- News link: https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/25/11/28/1522252/australias-streaming-quotas-become-law
- Source link: https://deadline.com/2025/11/australia-streaming-quotas-sworn-into-law-1236630348/
> The quotas were announced earlier this month. This will see global streamers with more than one million Australian subscribers made to spend 10% of their total Australian expenditure -- or 7.5% of their revenues -- on local originals, whether they are dramas, children's shows, docs, or arts and educational programs.
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> Failing to comply with the rules will see streamers fined up to ten times their annual revenues in Australia. This is more than what broadcasters are liable for if they breach their quota rules laws. Streamers will be given three years to get their production operations in line.
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> Streamers have long opposed government-set quotas and content levies, arguing they already meaningfully invest in the production sectors of the countries in which they operate. Producers, in general, have welcomed the systems, but remain wary that they could push streaming services out of their countries.
[1] https://deadline.com/2025/11/australia-streaming-quotas-sworn-into-law-1236630348/
CanCon laws have been in place for an long time (Score:3)
CanCon laws have been in place for an long time
And so.... (Score:1)
Reruns of Home and Away. Check.
Great, more reality garbage... (Score:2)
I seriously doubt any streaming provider is actually going to invest in the kind of quality Australian content that really should be made and instead will invest in more of the same cheap junk that infests our free-to-air networks.
They can post content... (Score:2)
from random people from Aussie that are posted on youtube.com. Problem solved. I'm from the Gov't and I'm here to help. :-)
Won't cost them much (Score:3)
The streaming services won't need to spend much as creative accounting means they show little actual profit in Australia. The profit is all seen off shore in places like Ireland. I recall there was a time several years ago when my one man company was paying more taxes in New Zealand that Google, even though they were hauling in a lot of money globally. They were simply fudging the numbers to move their tax obligations away from here to a country where it was cheaper.
You can bet they will do the same in Australia, manipulate the numbers to maximise their profit. I think the important thing is the Australians are only asking for action on the parts of the business that these companies do locally, not basing it on the total operations, making it a reasonable demand.
Re: Won't cost them much (Score:2)
Honestly the level of local tax dodging strategies in use are off the charts and only worsening Australia's net trade deficit. Apple: earned billions in Australia in 2023/24 and paid zero income tax here, per the latest ATO transparency data and analysis of the report. Microsoft: same story as Apple in 2023/24, billions in Australian income and zero income tax. Netflix: about A$1.2b in Australian revenue in 2023/24 and paid zero company tax. The âoebig fiveâ US tech firms (Microsoft, Google, F
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There's another corporate perk: With FTA television, Australia subsidizes the first 3 seasons of a drama. So, many popular Australian shows are cancelled once the corporate welfare ends. A few years ago, the government threatened to cancel all subsidies and the majority US-owned networks threatened to leave Australia. Instead, Australian-made streaming dramas feature US copganda.
Will result in a 15% price increase... (Score:2)
Across the board. 7.5% to go to producing the local programming, and 7.5% for an "administrative burden fee"
So, it's just a SPENDING rule (Score:2)
I guess the CEO will gladly give a 1 minute TV "Interview" each month for 7.5% to be sent at 2AM or any other crap.
And show what? (Score:1)
Tumbleweeds, dying reefs and spiders? We've had enough of that already.
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Make the most boorish offensive Australian shows you can. Maybe Sir Les Patterson had a son; he's appointed ambassador to Thailand and has a thing for ladyboys (just like the old man, RIP).
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He could be best friend's with Flashman's great grand child. Or is he a descendant of old Flashie?
Re:And show what? (Score:5, Insightful)
> Tumbleweeds, dying reefs and spiders? We've had enough of that already.
Haha only... there's a healthy-sized Australian TV industry with some very good shows.
While the bulk of content for English-speaking people seems to come from the US, as a Canadian I actively look for content from here, from the UK, Australia and NZ because frankly there's some really excellent stuff out there. It's another benefit to sailing the seven seas... when you're not fettered to the big streaming companies you can find things you'd never otherwise know exist.
Re:And show what? (Score:4, Interesting)
My wife and I just finished watching the Australian version of Ghosts and it was great.
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> Then why do they have to force non-Australian companies to produce shows if there's a healthy Australian tv-industy? Is this one of those "Australia has an army!" things?
Because it would get swamped out with the sheer amount of foreign content. Canada has had a similar law for decades and it works rather well.
> Personally I'd just make a few hours of AI generated aboriginals spouting hate speech at the Australian government as a middle finger for each day.
You would really benefit from some self reflection.
Re: And show what? (Score:2)
I doubt they would
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France also.
On radio and on TV.
Works.
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> Then why do they have to force non-Australian companies to produce shows if there's a healthy Australian tv-industy?
Because monopolies and oligopolies exist only to make the maximum amount of money, and the maximum amount of money is achieved by stuffing the global catalogue with global appeal. For that you still look to the USA movie industry, despite the fact they produce less movies per year than Australia on a per capita basis.
Australia seems to understand that a healthy market is maintained through regulation. Many Slashdotters on the other hand haven't seen what an economics textbook actually looks like. If they ev
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Ah, yes, and region locking, too.
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Canadian content can be good, too. I loved watching Corner Gas.
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Schitts Creek and Kims Convienence were both really good.
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Licence all the old soaps: Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors, etc.. Hell, go for broke and add in The Sullivan's. It can be just like the 80s in UK all over again!
There's enough Prisoner: Cell Block H to probably cover 7.5% on its own. Then there's Neighbours along with Home and Away...
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> Tumbleweeds, dying reefs and spiders? We've had enough of that already.
You're so clever showing the world your ignorance. Australia used to have one of the largest film industries in the world. Even now on a per capita basis they release more local movies than the USA does with an average of one movie every 3-4 days. The local series industry is also quite massive though America has them beat on a per capita basis there.
I can't completely fault your ignorance, you're probably a Netflix subscriber and only know what Netflix chooses to show you, and guess what, they will prefere