Netherlands Passes Law Requiring Large Streaming Services to Invest 5% of Annual Turnover in Dutch Productions

Large streaming services must invest 5 percent of the annual turnover earned in the Netherlands in Dutch productions. The House of Representatives has passed a law making this mandatory. It is now up to the Senate to have the law enter into force definitively.

The law must ensure that large streaming services also spend part of the income earned in the Netherlands here. As a result, a larger range of Dutch content should become available, so writes the national government. “Dutch stories get on [streamingdiensten] less and less space, especially due to growing budgets for foreign films, series and documentaries.”

Streaming services with a turnover of more than 10 million euros per year in the Netherlands must invest 5 percent of that turnover here; the platforms are free to choose whether titles are produced, co-produced or purchased, as long as they are Dutch productions. At least 60 percent of those productions must again be made by ‘independent producers’.

Half of the money in question must be invested in films, series and documentaries. Streaming services can decide for themselves what happens to the other half. According to a spokesperson for State Secretary for Culture and Media Gunay Uslu, this also includes reality, comedy and theater productions. The services may not spend the money on covering sporting events or competitions, the bill explicitly states.

Thanks to the law, it is estimated that at least 40 million euros must be invested annually in the Dutch film and television sector. For the calculation, the turnover earned in the Netherlands from major streaming services in 2022 was looked at. The spokesperson mentions Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery + and HBO Max, Apple TV + and Videoland; these streaming services should show ‘sufficient Dutch productions’ under the new law.

The law was proposed by Gunay Uslu, Secretary of State for Culture and Media. The coalition parties and the BoerBurgerBeweging have now agreed to the law. Given the upcoming composition of the Senate, including sixteen future seats for the BBB, it is likely that the law will also be approved in the Senate. Previous proposals for such an investment obligation for streaming services have failed in recent years.