Germany will introduce investment requirements for streaming platforms and TV broadcasters and nearly double government funding for the domestic film industry. The Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer explains that the objective of this is to boost the country’s appeal as a film-making hub, as Reuters has claimed in a statement.

“This is not a symbol, but a real investment stimulus: for jobs, value creation, and creative excellence”, Weimer affirms a week before the German capital welcomes industry players for the Berlin Film Festival (12 and 22 February 2026).

Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, as well as major broadcasters, will be obliged to reinvest at least 8% of the annual revenue they earn in Germany back into the local industry.

However, the measures state that if the streamers and broadcasters opt to invest 12% or more, they will be exempt from complex regulations obliging them to, for example, produce films in the German language.

With the measures, Germany will join at least a dozen other European countries, including France and Italy, that now obligate streamers to invest in domestic production.
In addition, the government has agreed to increase funding for film production to 250 million euros ($295.2 million) a year, nearly double the previous level.

“Now the ball is in the court of the streamers and broadcasters on the one hand, and the producers on the other”, adds the Minister.

According to German media, a corresponding law is expected to be approved by the cabinet before early April. It is not yet clear what, if any, penalties might be levied on streamers if they do not comply with the proposed regulations.