Big streamers argue at CRTC hearing they shouldn't have Canadian content obligations

Anja Karadeglija · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 16, 2025 4:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

A radical representing large overseas streaming companies told a proceeding held by Canada's broadcasting regulator connected Friday that those companies shouldn't beryllium expected to fulfil the aforesaid responsibilities arsenic accepted broadcasters erstwhile it comes to Canadian content.

The Motion Picture Association-Canada, which represents ample streamers similar Netflix, Paramount, Disney and Amazon, said the regulator should beryllium flexible successful modernizing its explanation of Canadian content.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding a two-week nationalist proceeding connected a caller explanation of Canadian contented that began Wednesday. The proceeding is portion of its enactment to instrumentality the Online Streaming Act — and it is bringing tensions betwixt accepted players and ample overseas streamers retired successful the open.

In a written transcript of the connection being made astatine the hearing, MPA-Canada argued the Online Streaming Act, which updated broadcasting laws to seizure online platforms, sets a little modular for overseas online services.

Cancon backing debated

"The publication modular applied to Canadian broadcasters is overmuch greater and reflects their existing obligations," the radical said successful its opening remarks.

"This quality was intentional arsenic Parliament rejected calls to enforce the aforesaid modular due to the fact that 'it is conscionable not realistic' to expect overseas online undertakings operating successful a planetary marketplace to lend successful the aforesaid mode arsenic Canadian broadcasters."

MPA-Canada said the CRTC shouldn't enforce "any mandatory positions, functions or elements of a 'Canadian program"' connected planetary streaming services.

While the proceeding is focused connected the explanation of Canadian content, the CRTC has besides heard statement astir fiscal contributions.

Earlier Friday, Canadian media institution Corus urged the CRTC to necessitate accepted broadcasters and online players to wage the aforesaid magnitude into the Canadian contented system. The broadcaster, which owns Global TV, said some should lend 20 per cent of their gross toward Canadian content.

Currently, ample English-language broadcasters indispensable lend 30 per cent of revenues to Canadian programming, and the CRTC past twelvemonth ordered streaming services to wage 5 per cent of their yearly Canadian revenues to a money devoted to producing Canadian content.

The overseas streaming services are warring that regularisation successful tribunal and Netflix, Paramount and Apple pulled retired of the CRTC proceeding earlier this week.

MPA-Canada said that online services "should beryllium allowed to fulfil their obligations done nonstop spending connected accumulation wherever that is accordant with their concern exemplary — not forced to wage into funds oregon into a programme acquisition exemplary that is inconsistent with however their services operate."

The CRTC has issued a preliminary presumption connected the explanation of Canadian content, suggesting it support the existent strategy for determining whether contented is considered Canadian by awarding points erstwhile Canadians inhabit cardinal originative positions successful a production.

The CRTC is considering expanding that strategy to let much originative positions to number toward the full points. One of the topics of statement successful the proceeding is the presumption of "showrunner," which has go much important successful caller years.

MPA-Canada said that "adding conscionable a fewer positions to a much than 40-year-old database ignores today's modern accumulation landscape."