Netflix has confirmed it’s pulling back on its film and television training and development programs in Canada, citing mandated CRTC contributions under the Online Streaming Act.
According to the streaming giant, it’s invested more than $25 million in training and development in Canada since 2017, including initiatives ranging from the Pacific Screenwriting Program, to a short documentary effort with Hot Docs, and a five-year partnership with the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) aimed at supporting Canadian talent.
A Netflix spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue that following the CRTC’s decision to require online streaming services to contribute five per cent of their Canadian revenues to support the Canadian broadcasting system, it will now no longer to be able to continue that investment.
“Despite our longstanding commitment, the government has chosen not to acknowledge our substantial support for the Canadian film and TV sector. Consequently, we will be unable to continue funding many of the programs that have come to rely on our backing, as we are now required to allocate resources to meet the CRTC’s new investment mandates,” the statement read.
At last November’s CRTC hearings on the matter, Dean Garfield, Netflix Vice President, Global Public Policy, had urged the commission for flexibility in meeting its obligations.
“If you develop a system that has ‑‑ that limits the areas or the funds to which those resources are directed, then in some respects you’re creating a zero sum game where you may have to move away from the relationships, partnerships that we built over time and we certainly don’t want to do that,” said Garfield. “We’ve ‑‑ those relationships are not simply transactional; they’re actually real long‑term relationships that we’re building and we want to be able to sustain them.”
Netflix is among the members of the Motion Picture Association-Canada, alongside Disney, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery, which is challenging implementation of the Online Streaming Act in Federal Court.
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