Netflix just lost a major legal fight in Belgium. The court rejected its appeal against a law that forces streaming platforms to invest up to 9.5% of their revenues in French-language productions from the Wallonia-Brussels region. Disney also joined the case as an interested party, but the verdict mainly targets Netflix’s operations in the area.
The law aims to protect and boost local French-speaking content, keeping it from being overshadowed by bigger markets like France. For players in Belgium, this means more homegrown films and series could hit your screens, funded directly by the streaming giants you already pay for. For platforms, it’s a new cost of doing business in the region-and possibly across Europe.
What’s at stake for streamers and viewers?
The court called the investment requirement “proportionate” and “reasonably justified,” dismissing most of Netflix’s arguments. Netflix claimed the scheme was “unworkable and contrary to the principles of the EU’s single market.” The verdict means streamers must keep funneling money into Belgian French-language productions-at least for now.
But the fight isn’t over. The court flagged several issues under EU law, including:
- Whether buying distribution rights counts as an investment
- How funds paid to public bodies are actually used
- If companies can offset these Belgian contributions with similar payments in other EU countries
These questions are now headed to the European Union’s Court of Justice (ECJ). The outcome could set a new standard for how all EU countries handle streaming obligations-and how much Netflix, Disney, and others must pay to local creators.
Why this matters for the EU’s streaming future
The case could trigger a wider challenge to the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), which lets member states force streamers to support European content. The AVMSD is already under review, and this Belgian ruling could push the debate to the top of the EU agenda.
Industry groups like Les Professionnels de la production et de la création audiovisuelle, UPFF+, SAA AISBL, ARPI, and the European Producers Club called the decision “largely favourable to the contribution of streaming platforms and to cultural diversity in Belgium.” They argue the case isn’t just about Belgium-it’s about whether global platforms should help fund the creative scenes that make European markets unique.
Julie-Jeanne Régnault, managing director of the European Producers Club, said the ruling reaffirms EU member states’ right to set their own cultural policies and decide how much streamers must invest. She noted the ECJ referral doesn’t question the law’s validity, but focuses on the details of eligible investments.
A Netflix spokesperson responded: “We acknowledge the Belgian Constitutional Court’s decision regarding our challenge and the referral to the European Court of Justice. We agree that the ECJ is best suited to look into this matter further. We will now study the decision in detail.”
The bottom line
- Streamers like Netflix and Disney must keep investing in Belgian French-language content for now.
- The EU’s top court will decide if these rules stand-or if the streaming landscape across Europe is about to change.