Screen Producers Australia has called on the government to ensure foreign subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services contribute their “fair share†to the Australian production industry by commissioning local content.
Zenith, a new Australian-based SVOD platform focused on short films, is set to officially launch this week.
Netflix has publicly cautioned the Australian Government against imposing local content obligations on its Australian service, warning of its disruptive effect.
Despite all the hype about the streaming revolution, Netflix and Stan do not simply replace free-to-air TV; they complement and interact with it, write RMIT's Ramon Lobato and the University of Melbourne's Alexa Scarlata.
Apple will launch its streaming service in Australia on November 1, stealing Disney+'s thunder by a matter of weeks.
Marcus Gillezeau, an International Digital Emmy and AACTA Award-winning independent producer, writer and EP, suggests Australia needs a 'whole-of-country' approach to reap the benefits of the streaming age.
The Federal Government has committed to a staged process of media regulation reform, ultimately culminating in what it hopes will be "platform-neutral regulatory framework covering both online and offline delivery of media content."
Both SPA and the ADG have identified the potential for a "production void" if there is a prolonged delay between the government's relaxation of local content quotas for commercial free-to-air broadcasters and any imposition of obligations on streamers.