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Netflix has either reached or surpassed the required 30% local content quotas in major markets in Europe, ranking ahead of its global streaming rivals, according to a new study by Ampere Analysis. The programming quota applies to all streamers operating in Europe and is part of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive of the European Commission.
Disney+, which launched in November 2019, is hovering around the 10% European content mark but has recently been ramping up commissions of local original productions.
The study shows that Netflix in the U.K. and Ireland is lagging behind with 27% of European titles, along with France, Belgium and Switzerland, which are slightly under the 30% mark. Ampere says Netflix’s U.K. service would need to either add 408 European titles or remove 953 non-European titles to fulfil the quota.
Amazon also surpasses the 30% quota in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and is on par with Netflix in the U.K. where 27% of its catalogue titles are of European origin. In other markets, Amazon has between 16% and 28% of European content. HBO Max, meanwhile, is exceeding 25% of European content in most of its markets.
The study argues that the increase in European titles available on streamers is due to “regulatory pressure in boosting the acquisition and production of European film and TV,” as well as the fact that global players are now competing directly with local and regional players for commissioned content. It can also be noted that streamers and broadcasters have started collaborating on ambitious series in key markets.
‘’Quietly, while no one was watching, Netflix has boosted the proportion of its catalogue titles that are European to the point where meeting new quota regulations should have no negative impact on its regional business,” said Guy Bisson, research director at Ampere Analysis.
Bisson said that beyond “Netflix’s 30% milestone,” the other surprising fact was that “some of the newer major studio players are already rapidly approaching a similar proportion of European content in their local catalogues.”