![\"Germany](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-Empress.jpg\"\/)
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Erik Gruenwedel<\/a><\/p>\n May 28, 2026<\/p>\n German lawmakers have passed a bill mandating domestic and foreign streaming, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max, and TV networks invest at least 8% of their local revenue in local content.<\/p>\n The \u201cMedia Investment Obligation Act,\u201d set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, would be in an addition to existing European Union mandates calling for a 30% minimum of European content being made available on streaming platforms operating across the organization\u2019s 27 member countries.<\/p>\n \u201cWith today\u2019s [May 27] cabinet decision, we are taking German cinema to a new level in the global competition between film hubs,\u201d said Wolfram Weimer, state minister for culture and media. \u201cWe have decided, across party lines, to inject more money into the domestic film industry than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n The bill limits streamers\u2019 exclusive rights to local content from three and seven years \u2014 preventing platforms from owning IP indefinitely. The bill would operate under a clause in the EU\u2019s Audiovisual Media Services Directive forcing international video-on-demand platforms and domestic TV networks to financially support the local content ecosystem.<\/p>\n The bill offers media companies an \u201copt-out\u201d clause if they invest at least 12% of local revenue in content without having mandatory German language productions. The German government would make available more than $291 million (\u20ac250 million) in local content production subsidies.<\/p>\n While the German movie and TV production industry heralds the pending law as a positive, they argue that the 8% minimum is not high enough when compared with minimums from 12% to 15% in other European countries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MedienInvestVG aims to eliminate existing structural shortcomings and lay the foundations for long-term value creation, innovation and sustainable employment in the German film and series industry. However, the present draft bill, as it stands, would not yet achieve the desired effect,\u201d industry associations \u2013 German Producers Alliance, AG DOK, German Film Academy and PROG Producers of Germany \u2014 said in a statement.<\/p>\n Bitkom, Germany\u2019s largest digital technology industry association, contends the law\u00a0 heightens government restrictions and bureaucracy.<\/p>\n \u201cSub-quotas for new productions interfere deeply with editorial and business decisions and mean that content is no longer created solely on the basis of quality and audience interest, but also in accordance with regulatory requirements,\u201d said Bitkom CEO Bernd Rohleder.<\/p>\n Netflix has upwards of 19 million German subscribers as the No. 1 SVOD service operating in the country. Prime Video has about 17 million, while Disney+ has less than 5 million. HBO Max went live in Germany in January.<\/p>\n Top local streamers include RTL+ (6.5 million subscribers) and ProSiebenSat.1\u2019s Joyn. About 70% of German streaming households have two or more SVOD subscriptions.<\/p>\n Wolf Osthaus, Netflix\u2019s director of public policy in Germany, warned that forcing firms to reinvest might actually curb growth in the German entertainment market.<\/p>\n \u201cIf regulation ultimately makes it harder to invest in ambitious projects and, as a result, fewer titles are produced overall, that benefits neither audiences nor the production location,\u201d Osthaus told the Financial Times.<\/p>\n Top German original Netflix productions include sci-fi series \u201cDark,\u201d \u201cThe Empress,\u201d \u201cKleo,\u201d \u201cHow to Sell Drugs Online Fast,\u201d \u201cThe Billion Dollar Code,\u201d \u201cThe Signal,\u201d and four-time Oscar winner, All Quiet on the Western Front.<\/p>\n Subscribe HERE to the FREE\u00a0Media Play News\u00a0Daily Newsletter!<\/a><\/p>\n Related Posts<\/p>\n Verizon Ups Video Content Rights From A+E Networks<\/a><\/p>\n Verizon and A+E Networks announced an expanded distribution partnership of both licensed and original content for the telecom\u2019s pay-TV and Oath platform \u2013 the latter including Yahoo and AOL. In addition to A&E, Lifetime, History and Viceland content for Fios,\u2026<\/p>\n Ad-Supported VUit Streaming Service Ups Local TV Content<\/a><\/p>\n VUit, the ad-supported streaming video platform owned by Grey Television, Nov. 2 announced carriage agreements with eight local and independent TV station groups, including Hearst Television, Cox, Citadel Communications, Morris Network and News Press & Gazette, among others. The pact\u2026<\/p>\n