Online Streaming Services to Contribute 5% Revenue to Support Canadian Content under New CRTC Policy

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is requiring online streaming services to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues to the country’s broadcasting system, starting in the 2024-2025 broadcast year. This new mandate is part of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11), which requires the CRTC to modernize the Canadian broadcasting framework and ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content. This measure is expected to generate around $200 million annually to fund local news on radio and television, French-language content, Indigenous content, and content created by and for diverse and minority communities in Canada.

Online streaming services will have some flexibility in directing portions of their contributions towards supporting specific Canadian television content. As a quasi-judicial tribunal, the CRTC will continue to balance its public consultations with moving quickly to modernize the broadcasting framework. Following the adoption of new Online Streaming Act, the CRTC published a regulatory plan and initiated four public consultations, including one on contributions by online services to the Canadian broadcasting system. The CRTC’s mandate requiring online streaming services to contribute 5% of Canadian revenues is the result of over 360 detailed submissions and a three-week public hearing with input from over 120 groups.

The CRTC will soon start more public consultations on the amended Broadcasting Act, covering the Independent Local News Fund and support for local news production by commercial radio, with decisions to be published as they are made.