Europe writes the rules—US streamers pick up the tab
The article examines growing European regulatory and institutional pressure on US streaming platforms, highlighted by Netflix’s challenge to local investment obligations under the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) in Wallonia-Brussels, where a Belgian court largely ruled in favor of the EU while referring questions (including whether acquisitions can count toward obligations) to the EU’s Court of Justice. It also covers the Council of Europe’s new Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works for Series, aimed at standardizing co-production rules and improving access to national support, alongside data suggesting US content represented nearly half of catalog availability on EU streamers/VoD services in 2025 versus 32% European-originated programming.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix’s AVMSD challenge in Wallonia-Brussels largely failed at the Belgian court level; clarifications (including whether acquisitions qualify as “investment”) are being referred to the EU Court of Justice.
- Disney participated as an interested party—signaling the issue is broader than Netflix and could shape obligations across major US platforms.
- The Council of Europe’s new Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works for Series aims to simplify co-pro criteria, reduce administrative friction, and improve access to national funding for designated co-productions.
- European Audiovisual Observatory data: US films/series were nearly half of EU streamer/VoD catalog availability in 2025 vs 32% European-originated programming—fuel for tougher quota-and-investment debates.
- AVMSD is under review this year, increasing the odds that today’s legal fight becomes tomorrow’s baseline compliance requirement.
Why It Matters
This is Europe’s “regulation-as-industrial-strategy” moment: the continent isn’t just asking streamers to carry European stories—it’s defining what counts as contribution, and it’s doing it through multiple institutions (EU + Council of Europe). For streamers, the CJEU decision could reshape budgeting (production vs acquisition), rights structures, and how global originals are financed locally. For producers and financiers, standardized co-pro rules plus easier access to national support could shift deal leverage and greenlight velocity. The emerging meme: in Europe, the rulebook is the roadmap.
Read full article at broadcastnow.co.uk
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