Unregulated international streaming services devastating local broadcasters, screen content creators

Unregulated international streaming services have devastated local broadcasters and screen content creators, the head of Screen Producers New Zealand says.

The government is investigating charging international streaming platforms a levy, having a local content quota, or requiring direct investment into New Zealand production.

Screen Producers NZ president and RNZ board member, Irene Gardiner, told Checkpoint a similar levy scheme was put in place in Australia - at the beginning of the year - following other countries such as Canada, France, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.

"We've got behind that's the trouble. Australia did theirs in January and any time that goes by without us doing legislation in the way that Australia has - we're falling behind the rest of the world - so it is extremely urgent," Gardiner said.

Gardiner said a 10 percent levy could see up to $50 million a year coming back into the country to support local content.

Gardiner said the government was asking international streaming companies to voluntarily report their New Zealand revenue, subscription numbers and audience reach data.

A briefing document to Media Minister Paul Goldsmith said the information would provide evidence for potential future interventions.

"It's interesting because we got someone to do those calculations for us but the data is quite hard to come by.

"I guess he is trying to be decent about it but I would like it to be a little more than voluntary at this stage," Gardiner said.

Gardiner said she felt it would be extremely unlikely that streaming companies would withdraw their services from the New Zealand market rather than pay a levy.

"There is no evidence anywhere in the world that they've actually come out of a territory because of regulation. They always say they will. They always push back, of course they do they're big businesses.

"I think it's highly unlikely. They'd lose all that revenue," Gardiner said.

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