France: US streamers appeal diversity quota ruling
July 7, 2026

From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris

SVoD services Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video have filed an appeal in France with the Council of State to challenge the new decree on TV genres diversity investment quotas.
From January 2026, there has been a requirement that 20 per cent of audiovisual financing obligations be allocated to animation programmes, documentaries and live shows, in order to support TV diversity.
“These new rules suddenly double our obligation to invest in these genres, target only streaming services and end up guiding our editorial offer without taking into account public expectations,” said Netflix France VP Pauline Dauvin in a comment published in daily Le Monde.
On May 6th, French TV and platforms regulator Arcom introduced a major amendment lifting Prime Video’s annual investments into French creation from €40 million to €90 million. This amount will rise to €110 million if the streamer obtains a distribution window at less than twelve months for its movies after theatrical release. Netflix notes that it sets aside €250 million each year to French series, films and documentaries.
Such a financing requirement is seen as directly threatening the streamers’ very profitable economic model which is based on raised subscription costs and advertising, a profitable mix and growth driver.
However, this strategy only works as long as subscribers are satisfied with the content offered on these platforms. If satisfaction decreases while prices are rising, the number of customers could then decrease as well.
“These new rules go too far,” Dauvin argued. “When regulation takes precedence over editorial freedom, diversity becomes an exercise in conformity, to the detriment of public expectations.”

Prime Video also confirmed its appeal, with a spokesperson telling Deadline: “Our action before the Conseil d’État does not call into question our commitment to French creative production — quite the opposite. It aims to ensure a regulatory framework that is balanced, fair, and legally sound, in the interest of audiences, creators, and the industry […] Adding new constraints, when the obligations under the SMAD decree are already the heaviest in the European Union, risks weakening this positive momentum rather than strengthening it.”