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

(Friday May 22, 2026 @11:30PM (BeauHD) from the Netflix-and-bill dept.)


Canada's broadcast regulator says major streaming services such as Netflix [1]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.



[1] https://slashdot.org/-https://globalnews.ca/news/11859450/online-streaming-act-canadian-content-crtc-rules/



Vancouver BC (Score:2)

by darkain ( 749283 )

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

Re: (Score:2)

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 )

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

Re: (Score:2)

by Tyr07 ( 8900565 )

Minority cultures, you mean.

Re:Vancouver BC (Score:5, Insightful)

by Baron_Yam ( 643147 )

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:2)

by SirSlud ( 67381 )

Every place on earth has the same problems. But if you think it's all in the same amount, the fuck are you doing on a nerd website about computers - one of the greatest gifts they've given us is the ability to more easily tabulate differences and trends .

Re: (Score:2)

by SirSlud ( 67381 )

lol, if you think Alberta is leaving ... I feel bad for you son

Re: (Score:2)

by brunes69 ( 86786 )

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

Everyone's gunna poop on this (Score:2)

by SirSlud ( 67381 )

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

Re: (Score:2)

by dskoll ( 99328 )

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

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

Major Streamers Raise Prices by 15% (Score:4, Insightful)

by LondoMollari ( 172563 )

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

Re: (Score:2)

by sound+vision ( 884283 )

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.

A long time ago in a galaxy far away (Score:2)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

There used to be this thing called competition that kept prices down. I know it sounds crazy but we had that.

Re: (Score:2)

by martin-boundary ( 547041 )

I only watch pirated streaming content! Does that mean I can get paid 15% of Netflix's contributions?

Re: (Score:2)

by dskoll ( 99328 )

There's no First Amendment in Canada.

Re: (Score:2)

by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

There is, actually, although what exactly you mean can vary. The first amendment to Canada's constitution, then called the British North America Act was the Rupert's Land Act.

Re: (Score:2)

by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 )

"Rupert's Land Act"

Thanks for the coffee spew.

Re: (Score:2)

by dskoll ( 99328 )

intelligible speech

Hilarious, coming from an American. LOL.

Re: (Score:2)

by sound+vision ( 884283 )

Are you under the impression that Indigenous people can't speak French? Hard to tell because most of your post seems to be expressing some weird emotion(s) I can't quite identify in a jumbled-up way, and the quote seems suspiciously truncated.

Is that how people write after a year of ChatGPT'ing their brain?

Re: (Score:2)

by dskoll ( 99328 )

The excerpt you quoted completely changes the meaning. Nice try.

The full quote is: in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news

The "such as" refers to "Canadian and Indigenous content", not just to "Indigenous content"

Re: (Score:2)

by SirSlud ( 67381 )

"... Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language ..."

This is why morons remain morons - they let their emotions run their brain.

Funny! "new financial contribution rules" (Score:1)

by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 )

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.

Re: (Score:2)

by coopertempleclause ( 7262286 )

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...

World's richest corporations crying "poor" (Score:2)

by NotEmmanuelGoldstein ( 6423622 )

> ... 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?

Re: (Score:2)

by SirSlud ( 67381 )

"slavery" - how do parents raise such stupid offspring? did they send to you the wrong schools?

Some say tarifs (Score:2)

by MeNeXT ( 200840 )

others call it levies...this way we pay so some rich folk can continue to lobby the elected.

Two things are certain about science. It does not stand still for long,
and it is never boring. Oh, among some poor souls, including even
intellectuals in fields of high scholarship, science is frequently
misperceived. Many see it as only a body of facts, promulgated from
on high in must, unintelligible textbooks, a collection of unchanging
precepts defended with authoritarian vigor. Others view it as nothing
but a cold, dry narrow, plodding, rule-bound process -- the scientific
method: hidebound, linear, and left brained.

These people are the victims of their own stereotypes. They are
destined to view the world of science with a set of blinders. They
know nothing of the tumult, cacophony, rambunctiousness, and
tendentiousness of the actual scientific process, let alone the
creativity, passion, and joy of discovery. And they are likely to
know little of the continual procession of new insights and discoveries
that every day, in some way, change our view (if not theirs) of the
natural world.

-- Kendrick Frazier, "The Year in Science: An Overview," in
1988 Yearbook of Science and the Future, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.