CRTC forces streaming services to invest in Canadian content

Canada's broadcast regulator, the CRTC, has set new rules requiring large streaming services to contribute 15 percent of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content—three times the initial requirement set out in 2024.

The Motion Picture Association, representing U.S. streamers including Netflix and Prime Video, condemned the decision Friday, saying the rules impose "unprecedented, unnecessary and discriminatory" investment obligations that will triple the cost of doing business in Canada.

"American studios and streaming services are already the top foreign investors in Canada's film and TV ecosystem," the group wrote, calling on the federal government to reconsider.

But Canadian industry organizations backed the CRTC's move. The Canadian Media Producers Association said the rules align with federal broadcasting policy spanning generations. "Broadcasters and streaming services that generate significant revenues from Canadian subscribers and viewers must also invest in Canadian programming," the organization said in a statement.

ACTRA Toronto, the union representing film and TV performers, also expressed support. "This has the potential to generate new opportunities, strengthen domestic production, and help ensure Canadian audiences continue to see themselves reflected on screen," said ACTRA Toronto president Kate Ziegler.

The CRTC also lowered contribution requirements for traditional broadcasters from 30-45 percent to 25 percent, while imposing spending rules on how money must be allocated. Large streamers with Canadian revenues exceeding $100 million must direct 30 percent of spending toward partnerships with Canadian broadcasters and independent producers.

For Toronto creators and production companies, the rules could mean more investment in local projects and jobs, though industry groups are still assessing the full impact.