An international coalition of screen-sector organizations is pressing governments to strengthen protections for local producers, warning that the reach of global streaming services is putting domestic storytelling and production ecosystems under mounting pressure.
The appeal was issued at the Toronto Film Festival, where 23 media organizations from Canada, Australia and Europe joined a statement calling for updated local content rules and regulatory support. The groups argue that the “ubiquity of global streaming services” has created new risks for commissions tied to diverse storytelling, as major digital platforms continue to reshape how film and television are financed, produced and watched.
“Streaming has upended the way content gets commissioned, produced and seen, but domestic policies have not kept pace,” Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association, said in a statement timed to the festival’s Friday kickoff.
Mastin said the issue is not limited to one market. “Canada, like so many countries around the world, needs updated laws and regulations for the digital world, and we each look to our respective governments to stand up for our cultural sovereignty,” he added.
A cross-border push for local production support
The joint statement was signed by 23 screen sector organizations, including European Audiovisual Production, Screen Producers Australia, Screen Producers Ireland, Animation Ireland, Swedish Film & TV Producers and AnimFrance. Together, the groups represent around 750,000 workers across Canada, Australia and Europe.
The coalition’s central argument is that domestic content rules are needed to help sustain the production of local stories at a time when Netflix, Amazon and YouTube are influencing global film and TV markets. The statement reflects a broader international push by producers and media groups urging politicians to require foreign streaming platforms to help subsidize local media production.
That debate has been especially active in Canada, where producers recently renewed calls for the government in Ottawa to restore plans that would force American companies to contribute to domestic film and television production. That effort has unfolded against the backdrop of wider cross-border tariffs and a trade war with the U.S.
The Toronto appeal frames the issue as one of cultural sovereignty, with local producers arguing that national media policies must be updated for a digital environment dominated by global platforms. While streaming has expanded the ways audiences can access content, the organizations behind the statement say production rules have not evolved quickly enough to preserve space for domestic creators and local stories.
Europe faces pressure on audiences and advertising
The concerns extend beyond production subsidies. In Europe, legacy broadcasters are looking to grow with the help of local government support and legislation as they attempt to withstand the market power of major digital players.
On the audience side, Netflix and Amazon are cited as dominant forces. On the advertising side, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok are part of the competitive challenge. Without stronger support and regulation, legacy broadcasters risk losing their competitive edge, according to the context surrounding the coalition’s call.
The statement arrives as the Toronto Film Festival continues through Sept. 20, placing the policy debate alongside one of the industry’s major international gatherings. For the coalition, the festival setting underscores the stakes: whether governments will act to ensure local producers remain able to commission and create domestic stories in a marketplace increasingly shaped by global streaming and digital platforms.