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Foreign platforms including Netflix, Spotify must contribute about $200-million a year for Canadian content

The CRTC announced the plan today, with some concerns raised that the extra business costs could trickle down to consumers

The online streaming act passed last year after almost 18 months of heated parliamentary debate, making platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus do more to promote Canadian film and television. “Today’s decision will help ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content,” said Vicky Eatrides, chairperson and chief executive officer of the CRTC. Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa’s Canada Research Chair in Internet Law, said in a statement Tuesday that the announcement was “a perfect illustration of a sector that is too often focused on regulatory payments rather than market-based success.” He said the funding formula does not take into account how much foreign streaming services are already investing in Canadian film or TV productions or music.

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