Should Streaming Services Pay More to Support Canadian Content?

Official title: Share your thoughts on market dynamics and sustainability of Canada’s broadcasting system

Closed Regulations & Permits Indigenous & Northern Technology & Digital
The CRTC asked Canadians how to keep local TV and radio alive while Netflix and other streaming giants dominate. The consultation explored whether streaming services should contribute more to Canadian content, how to make sure Indigenous and French-language programming stays discoverable, and whether the rules are fair for smaller broadcasters competing against tech giants.

Why This Matters

Ever notice your favourite local news station cutting back? Or struggle to find Canadian shows on streaming apps? This consultation shaped rules that affect what you watch and how much it costs. Francophone and Indigenous communities especially depend on these policies to keep their content visible.

What Could Change

New regulations could require streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ to contribute more money to Canadian productions. The CRTC may update how disputes between broadcasters and cable providers get resolved. Rules around content discoverability could change how prominently Canadian shows appear in your streaming recommendations.

Key Issues

  • How should streaming services contribute to Canadian and Indigenous content production?
  • How can smaller broadcasters compete fairly against large streaming platforms?
  • Should the dispute resolution framework between broadcasters and TV providers be updated?
  • How can diverse Canadian content remain discoverable on streaming platforms?

How to Participate

  1. Review the Notice of Consultation for full details on the topics that were discussed.
  2. Read the interventions submitted by other Canadians and organizations.

What Happened

The consultation ran from January 9 to February 24, 2025, followed by a public hearing from June 18 to July 4, 2025. Comments were received online, by mail, and by fax. All interventions and hearing transcripts are now publicly available.