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Streaming giants under pressure: Weimer calls for investments in German films!
Minister of State for Culture Weimer calls on streaming services to invest in German film productions in order to strengthen the industry.
Streaming giants under pressure: Weimer calls for investments in German films!
The future of the German film and television industry is currently being discussed in the Chancellery. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer has invited representatives of major streaming services to talk about a possible investment obligation. The aim is to strengthen regional film production, which has fallen seriously behind in recent years. Loud daily news The industry suffers from stagnating series production, rising costs and a complicated conveyor system. In addition, the shortage of skilled workers is becoming more and more present.
International companies such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ have high revenues in Germany, but invest little in local productions. A survey shows that almost 80% of local production companies report falling orders. Weimer warns of a creeping media monopoly by large US corporations and points to the advantages that countries like France and Spain enjoy through legal investment obligations to promote their film industries.
The urgent need for action
Weimer calls for the streaming platforms that are successful in Germany to also invest more in local film productions. The 2025 coalition agreement, which sets the agenda for cultural and media policy in the coming years, provides for such an investment commitment. Part of the plan is also a reform of the film funding system, which provides for tax deductibility of 10% to 30% of eligible production costs, as in GTLaw is executed.
A direct example of a successfully implemented investment obligation is France, where streaming services are obliged to invest 20% of their sales in local productions. This is supported by experts such as Andreas Bareiss from the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy, who emphasizes the need for an investment commitment to restore the competitiveness of the German film industry.
State incentives and future prospects
The German state is also planning a new incentive funding that includes up to 30% funding and a budget of 100 million euros per year for film and series productions. The focus is on supporting not only classic film projects, but also innovative series formats. South Korea is often cited as a positive example of a combination of government support and creative collaborations with streaming platforms that resulted in international hit series.
However, the challenges are not just financial. A fundamental reform of the film funding system is essential to improve the accessibility and simplicity of funding applications. It remains to be seen how the streaming services will respond to these demands and to what extent politicians will be able to find a balance between the interests of the platforms and the domestic film industry. One thing is certain: there is something to be said for the future of German film production!