Labour plans to introduce a streaming levy if elected, directing the funds back into New Zealand’s local content production.
Reuben Davidson, the party’s broadcasting and media spokesperson, highlighted the strong economic and cultural value of local content.
“A levy on streamers would ensure big international streaming operators fairly invest directly in local content,” he said.
Irene Gardiner, president of the Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA), noted that just 5% of major streamers’ New Zealand revenue could generate $25 million annually.
“The problem that has been caused by the arrival of the streamers on local production everywhere in the world is that it’s massively taken out the advertising revenue which paid for a lot of local content,” she said.
Gardiner noted that two years ago, major New Zealand networks faced “massive local production cutbacks.”
“A lot of industries are contracting, and it’s tough,” she explained. “We’re no different in that sense. But the sense where we are different is that it’s the New Zealand voice, and I think that’s at the heart of it.”
“If the streamers just go on and on and on, unregulated all around the world, yes, sure, we here in New Zealand, we will have all the content in the world, and how wonderful will that be? Except that you could have a situation where there’s almost no local New Zealand content within that, which is such a loss in terms of national identity and all that side of life.”
Local content quotas are enforced in Australia, requiring streaming platforms to invest a minimum amount in Australian productions. Gardiner cautioned, however, that enforcing such quotas in New Zealand would prove challenging because of international trade agreements.
“A levy may work better in New Zealand, but look, it could even be a hybrid where we invite people to do x number of commissions a year, but if they don’t want to, they pay the levy.”