News / Events

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 15 January, 2026

The New Zealand screen producers’ guild Spada says Australia’s new streaming content requirements, now in force, have materially changed the competitive landscape for screen production in the region - and risk leaving New Zealand at a disadvantage unless policy settings catch up.

On 27 November 2025, the Australian Government passed legislation introducing a mandatory Australian Content Requirement for subscription video-on-demand (streaming) services. The new framework, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, requires major international streaming platforms to make regulated investments in Australian screen content.

Spada says the introduction of binding obligations in Australia marks a shift from policy debate to real-world impact, with immediate implications for where global platforms choose to invest, commission, and develop projects across the region.

Spada President Irene Gardiner says Australia’s approach reflects policy settings already embedded in its domestic broadcasting system - settings that New Zealand does not currently have.

“Australia has gone for a quota system because they already have local production quotas in place for free-to-air broadcasters. We don't have that here, so Spada has advocated for a levy on the streamers' New Zealand revenue, which could then be invested back into local production via the screen funding agencies NZ Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Te Māngai Pāho.”

With Australia’s requirements now operational, Spada says the window for New Zealand to respond is narrowing as international platforms adapt to new investment obligations across the Tasman. 

“We are actively engaging with policy makers on the best way forward and the right settings to go for, but the time to strike is now, so we can leverage off what is happening in Australia.”

Spada says the contrast between Australia’s regulatory framework and New Zealand’s current settings highlights longstanding structural imbalances in how international streaming platforms operate locally.

“The streamers currently pay no tax in New Zealand, face no regulation, and use broadband infrastructure that was partially funded by our Government.”

The guild says the consequences of those imbalances are already being felt by local broadcasters and producers, as global streaming platforms continue to draw audiences and advertising revenue away from the domestic market.

“As has happened globally, their negative impact on local viewership and therefore advertising revenue in the domestic market has been huge, which has created serious challenges for local production.”

Now that binding content requirements are in force in Australia, Spada says New Zealand faces a clear choice about its future competitiveness as a screen production market.

“With Australia moving ahead, New Zealand has a clear opportunity to act now. Delaying further risks long-term damage to local production, jobs, and the ability to tell New Zealand stories on screen,” says Gardiner.

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Background

Is NZ content eligible for inclusion under Australia’s new requirements?

While New Zealand content may be technically eligible under Australia’s settings, inclusion is not guaranteed and does not substitute for having domestic policy settings that support local production and sustainability.
 

Why New Zealand hasn’t imposed streaming content quotas - and what other countries do:

New Zealand’s international trade commitments make quota-based local content obligations on streaming platforms legally complex and vulnerable to challenge. Unlike Australia, New Zealand did not retain explicit cultural carve-outs in a number of its international trade agreements, which limits its ability to impose mandatory local content quotas without risking trade disputes.

Australia, by contrast, has long maintained cultural and audiovisual exemptions within its trade policy settings, preserving its ability to extend existing broadcast quota frameworks into the streaming environment.

As a result, a levy-based approach - requiring streaming platforms to contribute a portion of their New Zealand revenue to domestic screen production - is widely regarded as the most viable mechanism for supporting local content under New Zealand’s current legal settings.

International context:

Levy-style or contribution models are already in place in several comparable markets, including France, Canada, and Germany, where international streaming platforms are required to contribute financially to domestic screen production, either through direct investment or payments into national content funds. These approaches are widely used to support local screen industries while operating within international trade frameworks.