The Streaming Wars: European culture could be a major step towards recovery

Gérard Pogorel | 14th April 2021 | Uncategorised

Members of the cast and crew of Netflix’s hit German TV series Babylon Berlin pick at the Bambi Awards in Berlin, 2018. Robert Schlesinger/Getty Images

Politicians across the bloc ought to remember the films and series they enjoyed during lockdown – and support their continental producers.

Confronting the great digital transformation, the European Union is engaged in a defining effort on many fronts. At a regulatory level, the 2016 General Data Protection Regulation addressed data property and privacy issues. The 2020 package Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts proposes to define the obligations of “gatekeepers” and the rules of a level playing field for services and platforms. By so doing, the EU promotes itself as a culture of its own. It then comes as no surprise that the effort also involves initiatives regarding the mother of global cultural wars, the film and TV industries. The great coronavirus pandemic is reshuffling the cards in the film and TV battles for subscribers. Home entertainment has taken central stage as cinemas, outdoors and city venues are a no-go. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, WarnerMedia, Apple TV and others now operate subscription campaigns across the world with spectacular success. As the big streaming platforms storm across the Atl...

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