Investment obligations for VOD providers to financially contribute to the production of European works: a 2021 update

The latest revision of the Audiovisual Media Services directive (AVMSd) came into force in autumn 2018. The revised directive aims to strengthen European culture and clarifies the rules for investment obligations, i.e. the obligations for on-demand audiovisual media services (VOD) to contribute financially to the production of European works. For the first time, the directive also allows Member States to capture on-demand players that are targeting domestic audiences but are located outside of their borders (such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, etc.). Building on our report from 2018, the study shows that much has already changed in the media policy landscape and that there are increasing steps taken within Member States to oblige companies that benefit from the distribution of European audiovisual content to also contribute to content production, regardless of the market in which they are based. The findings presented here can support policymakers within and outside the EU that want to introduce or adopt financial obligations for VOD providers in their countries or regions.