Canada expands streaming levy to 15% to fund local content

Canada's CRTC is fully implementing the Online Streaming Act, requiring major streaming platforms earning over CAD 25 million in Canada to allocate 15% of Canadian revenue to funding Canadian content (with 30% of that funding reserved for French-language productions). Broadcasters earning more than CAD 100 million annually face additional rules to direct 30% of certain spending toward Canadian production partnerships, with at least 15% of those funds supporting Canadian journalism. The regime is expected to raise about CAD 2 billion for Canadian and Indigenous content and to improve discoverability of domestic programming. US platforms and the MPA have criticized the levy and are pursuing legal challenges in federal court, but regulators say implementation will proceed, citing cultural exemptions under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).