France: Netflix wants content funding cap
June 29, 2026

From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris



Netflix wants a cap on its investments in French creative content “beyond a certain level of funding” the platform has told daily newspaper Le Monde.

“If the regulatory framework doesn’t evolve, we will eventually become the leading investor into French creation,” the source explained. The platform, which already creates 20 to 25 productions in France annually and poured €250 million in 2025 into French content, believes “the current system will force Netflix to increase its investments disproportionately in the coming years, in relation to the needs of the French audience”.


The obligations imposed on audiovisual media services (Smad) are calculated on the revenue coming from subscriptions and advertising and are expected to rise in the coming years as traditional broadcasters cut back their investments.

“By 2030, the funding of French creative content could rely on foreign private operators first, while the historical players will play an increasingly diminishing role in the sector. This isn’t a sustainable model for Netflix”, said VP of Content Pauline Dauvin at a conference in Paris in May. “Netflix has become the #1 private investor of audiovisual creation and the #3 contributor to cinema.”

By pleading now for a cap on its obligations, the platform argues the increased dependance of French creation on foreign players “undermines the principal of cultural sovereignty”.

It is speaking out at the time when the AVMS directive is due to be reviewed by the European Commission and after Netflix and Disney+ submitted a formal administrative appeal to the French PM about the new version of the Smad decree. This version introduces sub-quotas for animation and live performance within the platforms’ obligations.

Netflix and Prime Video have also filed appeals to the highest administrative court against the latest version of the French media window rule.