Streaming Levy to Fund NZ Shows?

Local producers are urging the Government to mandate the likes of Netflix and Disney+ to pay a streaming levy that could be reinvested in NZ production.

Screen industry guild Spada says such levies already are imposed on global streamers in comparable markets like France, Germany and Canada as an alternative to the Australia quotas-based model — and which can operate within international trade frameworks.

“Unlike Australia, New Zealand did not retain explicit cultural carve-outs in a number of its international trade agreements, which limits its ability to impose mandatory local content quotas without risking trade disputes.

“Australia, by contrast, has long maintained cultural and audiovisual exemptions within its trade policy settings, preserving its ability to extend existing broadcast quota frameworks into the streaming environment.

“As a result, a levy-based approach – requiring streaming platforms to contribute a portion of their New Zealand revenue to domestic screen production – is widely regarded as the most viable mechanism for supporting local content under New Zealand’s current legal settings.”

The Labour Party already has committed to a streaming levy, as reported in The Post:

Labour is promising to implement a levy on local profits of streaming giants like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video if elected, but National says it is still considering its options and won’t commit to any plan yet … New Zealand’s screen industry has been grappling with a major downturn in screen production, with senior workers sitting idle and one leading industry figure telling The Post in October last year that it was the “hardest I’ve ever known it”.

Here’s Spada’s media release:

Australia Moves on Streaming Content Rules, Spada Warns NZ Risks Falling Behind

The New Zealand screen producers’ guild Spada says Australia’s new streaming content requirements, now in force, have materially changed the competitive landscape for screen production in the region – and risk leaving New Zealand at a disadvantage unless policy settings catch up.

On 27 November 2025, the Australian Government passed legislation introducing a mandatory Australian Content Requirement for subscription video-on-demand (streaming) services.

The new framework, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, requires major international streaming platforms to make regulated investments in Australian screen content.

Spada says the introduction of binding obligations in Australia marks a shift from policy debate to real-world impact, with immediate implications for where global platforms choose to invest, commission and develop projects across the region.

Spada President Irene Gardiner says Australia’s approach reflects policy settings already embedded in its domestic broadcasting system – settings that New Zealand does not currently have. “Australia has gone for a quota system, because they already have local production quotas in place for free-to-air broadcasters.

“We don’t have that here, so Spada has advocated for a levy on the streamers’ New Zealand revenue, which could then be invested back into local production via the screen funding agencies NZ Film Commission, NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.”

With Australia’s requirements now operational, Spada says the window for New Zealand to respond is narrowing as international platforms adapt to new investment obligations across the Tasman.

“We are actively engaging with policy makers on the best way forward and the right settings to go for, but the time to strike is now, so we can leverage off what is happening in Australia.”

Spada says the contrast between Australia’s regulatory framework and New Zealand’s current settings highlights longstanding structural imbalances in how international streaming platforms operate locally.

“The streamers currently pay no tax in New Zealand, face no regulation, and use broadband infrastructure that was partially funded by our Government.”

The guild says the consequences of those imbalances are already being felt by local broadcasters and producers, as global streaming platforms continue to draw audiences and advertising revenue away from the domestic market.

“As has happened globally, their negative impact on local viewership and therefore advertising revenue in the domestic market has been huge, which has created serious challenges for local production.”

Now that binding content requirements are in force in Australia, Spada says New Zealand faces a clear choice about its future competitiveness as a screen production market.

“With Australia moving ahead, New Zealand has a clear opportunity to act now. Delaying further risks long-term damage to local production, jobs and the ability to tell New Zealand stories on screen,” says Gardiner.