The streaming platforms Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video have filed appeals before the Council of State to challenge new rules in France which require them to direct 20% of their investment obligations in audiovisual creation to animation, documentaries and live shows, they announced on Monday July 6.
“These new rules suddenly double our obligation to invest in these genres, target only streaming services and end up directing our editorial offering without taking into account the expectations of the public,” protested in a column in Le Monde published Monday morning the vice-president of Netflix France, Pauline Dauvin.
The appeals in “excess of power” before the Council of State were filed separately by the platforms, after a rejection of a free appeal to Matignon, they indicated, confirming information from the specialized site Satellifacts. They are aiming for a modification of the decree which since 2021 has required foreign video streaming platforms to finance audiovisual creation and French cinema up to part of their turnover.
“These new rules go too far”
Since January 2026, the new decree requires 20% of audiovisual investment obligations to be allocated to animation programs, documentaries and live shows, in order to support genre diversity.
“These new rules go too far (…) When regulation takes precedence over editorial freedom, diversity becomes an exercise in conformity, to the detriment of public expectations,” added Pauline Dauvin, recalling that Netflix devotes “250 million euros each year to French series, films and documentaries”.
“Our appeal before the Council of State does not call into question our commitment to French creative production – quite the contrary,” argued a spokesperson for Amazon, owner of Prime Video, in a statement. “It aims to guarantee a balanced, fair and legally solid regulatory framework, in the interest of the public, creators and the industry,” continues the American group.
These appeals are announced as Netflix recently announced that it wanted to work towards a cap on its mandatory investments, currently set at 20% of its turnover, which makes it scalable. “This is not a sustainable system for us. “It’s disproportionate to what we want and can do in France,” the platform recently said.
