Netflix and other streaming services experiencing growing interest in Germany, according to Weimer.
In a bid to strengthen the German film industry, Culture State Minister Wolfram Weimer recently held talks with major US streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple+, and Disney+. The discussions aimed to encourage more investments in German film and series productions, and to attract talent to the country.
Minister Weimer expressed concern about the industry producing too many films without considering the audience, and stated that the German system is under pressure and in existential distress due to these changes. He sees openness among the US streaming services for increased engagement in Germany, but has also voiced concerns about the emergence of media monopolies of American origin in Germany.
The federal government is also working to create further incentives to strengthen this dynamic. However, as of July 2025, there are no publicly detailed, specific investment quotas or binding self-commitments explicitly declared by these US streaming services towards the German film industry.
The EU Audiovisual Media Directive requires that 30% of content on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Joyn, and RTL+ be European productions, indirectly driving investment in European productions, including Germany. Netflix itself has become the largest commissioner of scripted European content, with a strong focus on localized and regional productions, which includes Germany.
There is a proposed regulatory push, dubbed "Lex Netflix", that would legally require streaming platforms to invest in German film productions in proportion to their market revenue, similar to France’s law mandating at least 20% of revenue be invested in original French-language productions. This proposal is under discussion and would comply with EU law but has not yet been formalized in Germany.
While no fixed, formal investment quotas or self-commitments specifically targeting German film productions by these US streaming services are publicly documented yet, there is both political intent and market behavior indicating increasing investment and a likelihood of future binding requirements for contributions to the German film industry. The German government is actively working on legislation to enforce such commitments, but the precise details and amounts remain under negotiation.
After the meeting, Minister Weimer did not speak of commitments but did not rule out the possibility. He suggested a commitment or self-commitment of the corporations to invest in Germany before the meeting. As for Apple+ and Disney+, they have not publicly announced precise investment commitments for the German market, but with increasing pressure and the presence of mandatory content quotas, their involvement is expected to grow as part of these broader regulatory and market trends.
In a coalition agreement, a possible investment commitment is mentioned, adding to the anticipation of what the future holds for the German film industry and its collaboration with US streaming services. The discussions and proposed regulations serve as a stepping stone towards making Germany a home for creative value creation and more successful series and blockbusters made in Germany.
[1] Source: Der Spiegel [2] Source: Tagesspiegel [3] Source: Variety
Service providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple+, and Disney+ may consider increasing their finance investments in German film and series productions, in line with the growth of their market presence in Germany. This potential growth in business engagement could help strengthen the German film industry, addressing concerns about creating content that resonates with audiences and countering the threat of media monopolies.
Tech giants like Netflix have demonstrated a strong focus on technology-driven innovation and localized content, investing significantly in regional production including Germany. As regulations like "Lex Netflix" and mandated content quotas emerge, technology-backed service providers may find it necessary to adopt self-commitments for investing in the German film industry, ultimately contributing to its revival and the creation of more entertainment content in Germany.
