What amount are we talking about? CSA estimates that 250 to 300 million euros (between US$282 and 330 million) will be invested per year. Netflix is ​​by far the biggest contributor: according to estimates, it will spend 200 million euros in 2023. (By comparison: Vivendi-owned pay-TV conglomerate Canal+ has just signed a deal to invest more than 600 million euros in French and European films over the next three years.)

And the animated one? Streamers will only have to spend 5% of their investment on documentaries and animations combined. Collective management society The Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD) complained that representatives of these industries were not consulted during the negotiations.

SACD wrote in a statement: ” [T]The very limited part devoted to animation, a pillar of French excellence abroad, constitutes a real disappointment and understanding on the part of the platforms, even though they have developed a significant animation proposition, which can be enjoyed by a large number of parents and families. Extending membership. ,

What do streamers get out of this? They will avoid sanctions, including a possible ban on operations in the country. But as part of the general conversation on their new features, companies are pushing to shorten the window after which they can begin theatrical release. At present, he has to wait 36 ​​months. Netflix wants 12 months and will probably have between 15 and 17 months. This conversation is still going on.

Why is this happening? The new law is how France implements the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS), a legal framework introduced by the European Union. It aims to level the regulatory playing field for all broadcasters and video platforms, which means expanding existing production quotas to global SVOD platforms. Read more here.

So, will other European countries apply the same law? They should also implement the AVMS instruction (France is the first to do so). But countries are free to interpret the directive as they wish. Spain, for example, unveiled a bill in September that would require streamers to spend only 3.5% of their income on local content, much less than in France.

Top image: Netflix hit series ‘Arcane’ produced by French animation studio Fortich