Article content
Almost three in four Canadians say streaming giants such as Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. should contribute financially to Canadian content creation, despite fierce U.S. opposition to such a requirement.
Sign In or Create an Account
or View more offersArticle content
A Nanos poll conducted on behalf of Bloomberg News found 73 per cent of respondents supported subjecting streamers to the same rules imposed on Canadian broadcasters to fund Canadian content. That’s up from 67 per cent in May 2022.
Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.Article content
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Canada’s broadcast regulator announced in May new regulations for the Online Streaming Act, a law that brings global streaming platforms under domestic rules, including a requirement to pay into funds that support Canadian shows. But Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government asked the watchdog to review the decision, which would require streamers to spend 15 per cent of their annual Canadian revenue on local content, up from five per cent.
Article contentArticle content
Both the Trump administration and Hollywood studios staunchly oppose the requirement, which U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office cited as a trade barrier in a recent report.
Article contentArticle content
The tax on streaming giants was among the issues discussed by Canada and the United States during trade negotiations last month, which collapsed as both sides accused each other publicly of making last-minute demands.
Article content
Carney said one reason he directed Canada’s negotiating team to walk away from talks was a demand from the U.S. to reverse rules that require streamers to make it easier for Canadian subscribers to find local content.
Article content
The Trump administration has rejected Carney’s framing of the negotiations, which also suggested the U.S. went after Canadian culture and French-language protections. Greer told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview that so-called discoverability rules were not a red line during the talks, and that the U.S. was more focused on the streamer tax.
Article content
Support for making streamers contribute to Canadian content was strongest in Quebec, where 85 per cent said they support or somewhat support the measure.
Article content
The survey was conducted between Aug. 30 and Sept. 2 with 1,037 respondents, and is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Article content
Article contentThis advertisement has not loaded yet.Trending
Trump is angry about the loonie ‘imbalance’: But what does he mean and what can he do about it?
News
CRA denies tax credit to B.C. divorced dad paying child and spousal support
Personal Finance- Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Canada can afford to wait out Trump’s trade war, say two prominent policy vets
Economy
Trump’s US$5,000 payout promise underscores GOP midterm peril
News
Enbridge to buy Tallgrass crude business for US$2.6 billion
Energy