On 23 July 2025, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer invited leading representatives of major US streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+ to a meeting at the Federal Chancellery. The aim of the meeting was to deepen the dialogue on the framework conditions for streaming providers in Germany and to find joint solutions to the challenges facing the industry.

Weimer emphasised the importance of fair competitive conditions and advocated binding investments by platforms in German film and series productions. The dominance of international streaming providers on the German market poses a challenge for the local film and creative industries. It is therefore important that streaming services invest more in the German production location and thus contribute to strengthening the domestic industry.

Although the meeting did not result in any concrete decisions, the open and constructive dialogue was viewed positively by all sides. Weimer emphasised that the exchange could provide important impetus for the future development of Germany as a media location.

The media also reported extensively on the meeting and the demands of the Minister of State for Culture. The taz newspaper, for example, criticised the continued dominance of US streaming platforms and the impact on the local film industry, while other voices emphasised the need for a common path to ensure a diverse and vibrant media landscape.

The streaming summit at the Federal Chancellery marks an important step in the dialogue between politicians and the industry. It remains to be seen how the platform operators will react to the demands and what measures will be taken in future to promote German film and series productions in the long term.