Germany ‘very close’ to revealing streamer obligations

Germany’s culture and media minister has said his government is “very close” to unveiling an agreement with global streamers that he says could reshape the country’s production landscape.

Wolfram Weimer unveiled plans to introduce local investment obligations on streamers such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video earlier this year, but details are yet to be made public.

The obligation, which came alongside news that local film funding support would be doubled to €250m from next year, would support Germany’s “struggling market” according to Weimer.

Speaking at the Munich Media Days 2025 event in Germany, Weiner said: “There will be an announcement on this very soon. I would like to thank the streamers for agreeing to a very constructive restructuring of the production landscape, mobilising not only government money but also private capital.”

He went on to say: “I believe this will give the struggling market a boost.”

He added that public funding would be allocated to support the media industry.

The proposals are not the first in Germany, with plans unveiled last year under former culture minster Claudia Roth designed to revamp tax incentives and force streamers to invest a proportion of their profits into local productions.

Similar moves have been initiated by governments in France and Switzerland, supported by the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which allows countries to impose local content quotas and investment obligations.

Weimer also called on Pier Silvio Berlusconi, whose European outfit MediaForEurope recently acquired German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1, to stick to his pledges about media funding.

He told Berlusconi that German Chancellor and Bavarian Premier Markus Söder was “a real lion” and would fight for media independence at ProSieben, which overhauled its senior management team earlier this week.

“That’s why it’s good that you have promised us to really strengthen ProSieben’s Munich location,” Weimer said.

“We will be keeping an eye on this. We are sure that you will keep your promises and want to see the Bavarian Media Authority and our lion happy. This is smart and good for ProSieben, but it is also important for Munich as a media location and for Germany as a whole.”