Starting this month, September 2024, foreign streamers must contribute five per cent of their annual Canadian revenues into a fund devoted to producing Canadian content, including local TV and radio news, as well as Indigenous and French-language content.
In June, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said that streaming companies that are not affiliated with a Canadian broadcaster – and that make at least $25 million in Canadian revenue – would be required to pay into the fund, which is expected to inject about C$200 million into the system every year.
Meanwhile, global streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ are challenging the CRTC’s regulatory directive, which is part of the Online Streaming Act approved by the Canadian Parliament. The Act is meant to contribute money to Canada’s broadcast sector.
The Online Streaming Act is Canada’s first major reform of the Broadcasting Act since 1991.
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