Netflix and Co. are doing good enterprise in Germany. Now the federal government desires to encourage them to speculate a part of their gross sales within the native manufacturing website – movie funding is being reorganized.
The federal authorities, along with the CDU/CSU and SPD factions, has agreed on an funding pact for movie funding. As Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (unbiased) introduced, an funding obligation for streaming portals and broadcasters amounting to eight % of annual internet gross sales must be legally established.
At the identical time, the funds for financial movie funding will enhance to 250 million euros per 12 months. According to Weimer, there are exact authorized necessities for the kind of investments with a minimal degree of eight %, which additionally have an effect on the rights of the manufacturing firms.
If firms voluntarily make investments greater than twelve % of their gross sales, they’ll deviate from these pointers and make particular person agreements with manufacturing firms.
Weimer: Funding secures orders
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil mentioned that with the settlement the federal authorities would create “planning security for more investments in national and international productions.” This is a “clear signal for our location and for cultural diversity,” mentioned the SPD politician.
Weimer mentioned that the “legal foundation of minimum investments and a comprehensive opening clause for voluntary commitment” would safe orders for the movie trade “without interfering in the business models of streamers and broadcasters.”
Combination of voluntary and state necessities
The mixture of voluntary funding commitments and a legally stipulated fundamental funding quota permits financial flexibility and safe investments in Germany. This creates the required planning safety. Now the ball is within the courtroom of the streamers and broadcasters on the one hand, and the producers on the opposite.
In current months, Weimer had relied on voluntary funding commitments from streaming portals and personal broadcasters, however the manufacturing alliance and the SPD had insisted on a legally mounted funding quota.
“The film industry has been waiting for a signal”
The manufacturing alliance welcomed the compromise. This signifies that the Federal Ministry of Finance’s deliberate funding of 120 million might now be launched. “The German film industry has been waiting for this signal for a long time,” mentioned Michelle Müntefering, spokeswoman for the manufacturing alliance’s board of administrators. The opening clause with the opportunity of additional negotiations is a “robust compromise” that ensures stability and on the similar time leaves room for additional improvement.
The non-public media affiliation Vaunet rejected the funding obligation as “outdated and disproportionate”. In July 2025, the Federal Cabinet determined to spend extra money on movie funding in 2026. However, of the overall deliberate 250 million euros, 120 million euros ought to solely be launched if there may be an funding dedication. This can now occur if the Bundestag has accepted the legislation.
https://www.tagesschau.de/kultur/streamingdienste-investitionen-100.html