The Austrian film industry is pushing for the swift introduction of a statutory investment obligation for streaming platforms. At a press conference in Vienna, representatives of producers, creatives and industry associations called for binding regulations to secure additional funding for domestic film and series productions. The demands are based on an official announcement by the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ).

According to the industry, the film industry is under pressure despite international successes. A strong presence of Austrian productions at festivals as well as recently successful cinema titles are offset by a decline in reliable funding. Cuts to existing programmes have made it more difficult to plan new projects. Without additional financing instruments, there is a threat of fewer productions and job losses.

A mandatory investment model is proposed as a solution: streaming services should reinvest a fixed proportion of their revenue generated in Austria in local productions. A total quota of 25 per cent is being discussed, consisting of direct investment in projects and a supplementary solidarity contribution. The regulation should apply to all providers, regardless of their business model.

From the industry's perspective, this could create continuous financing flows that stabilise production volumes, jobs and the competitiveness of the location. Representatives are calling for legislation to be implemented this year.

The debate is also linked to regulatory developments in other European countries. Now that several countries have already introduced investment or levy models for streaming providers, the topic is increasingly being considered as part of the location policy for audiovisual productions.