Australia Mandates Streaming Platforms to Invest in Local Content

Sun Nov 30 2025 23:41:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

New legislation will require streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ to allocate a portion of their revenue toward Australian-produced content, aiming to bolster the local creative industry.

The Australian government is set to introduce laws that require streaming platforms with over one million subscribers to contribute at least 10% of their local expenditure or 7.5% of revenue toward Australian content. This move is aimed at enhancing the diversity and availability of homegrown stories while preserving local acting jobs.

Australia is to introduce laws requiring streaming platforms to invest a minimum amount of money in homegrown content, the government said on Tuesday.

Platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, along with any other streamers with over one million subscribers, will have to contribute at least 10% of their local expenditure, or 7.5% of revenue, on Australian content. Legislation will be introduced to parliament this week and will apply to drama, documentaries, arts, and educational programmes.

Arts minister Tony Burke and communications minister Anika Wells indicated that this move would help protect acting jobs. The streaming services have not yet commented.

We have Australian content requirements on free-to-air television and pay television, but until now, there has been no guarantee that we could see our own stories on streaming services, Burke said. Since their introduction in Australia, streaming services have created some extraordinary shows. This obligation will ensure that those stories – our stories – continue to be made.

According to the Australian Broadcast Corporation, the legislation will be introduced to Parliament this week. The broadcaster noted that the new content requirements were intended to be established by July last year but were delayed due to concerns about how they would interact with a free trade agreement with the US. The government cited challenges in negotiations with the US during the election cycle and later apprehensions over potential retaliatory tariffs from the US administration under President Trump.

Now, with the political landscape more settled, those regulations are back on the table. While the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and Screen Producers Australia (SPA) welcomed the news, streaming services have not yet made any comments.

Recent Australian shows featured on Netflix include 'Heartbreak High', 'Territory', and 'Apple Cider Vinegar.' Australia's creative industries have faced challenges, particularly following a production slump during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Screen Australia, investment in feature films and television dramas made in Australia decreased by almost 30% in the financial year 2023-24.