Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are challenging France’s streaming rules, arguing that the combination of compulsory local-production investment and delayed access to theatrical films is becoming unworkable. The dispute matters because the rules underpin a significant share of French film and television financing while shaping how quickly global streaming platforms can offer cinema releases.

Since 2022, subscription streaming services have had to invest 20% of their French revenue in local productions. Netflix’s industry agreement expired at the end of 2025, returning it to a 17-month post-cinema release window and leaving only five months of exclusivity before free-to-air broadcasters gain access; it says it invests over $287 million annually in France. Prime Video is contesting how its obligations are calculated because it is included within the wider Amazon Prime subscription.