Spain tells Netflix and co. to give European films a front-row spot

Next time you open a streaming app in Spain, European films may be much harder to miss. On Tuesday, the government approved a decree that forces platforms to show off European titles, not just stock them.

What happened?

Spain's Council of Ministers (the cabinet) approved a Royal Decree proposed by the ministries of Digital Transformation and Culture. It puts into practice the European-works and language-diversity rules of Spain's General Law on Audiovisual Communication.

The goal is to strengthen European productions in the Spanish market, back independent producers and boost work in Spanish and in the co-official languages, such as Catalan, Basque and Galician.

What changes on your screen?

The big new idea is "prominence". Movistar Plus, Netflix, HBO Max and Prime Video will have to make sure European titles are easy to spot. That means a place on the home page, dedicated sections and easy discovery through search and navigation tools.

Platforms can also promote these titles with campaigns inside their own services. Simply adding a film to the catalogue will no longer be enough.

The rules sit on top of existing quotas. On-demand catalogues must be at least 30% European works, and at least half of that must be in Spanish or another official language of the regions. Traditional TV must give 51% of annual airtime to European works, with 10% reserved for independent producers.

Who pays, and how much?

The decree also covers money. State public broadcaster RTVE must put 6% of its eligible annual revenue into European productions. Private providers earning more than 50 million euros must invest 5%. Firms with 10 to 50 million face adapted requirements, and those below 10 million are exempt.

The money can fund feature films, TV movies, series, documentaries and animation. Investment in works created or directed solely by women gets special treatment in the calculation.

What's next?

The CNMC, Spain's competition and markets regulator, will check compliance. Operators must regularly report their revenue, catalogue makeup, programming, prominence of European works and investments.

The rules also reach some operators based in other EU countries if they target the Spanish market. It follows the EU's 2018 audiovisual directive, which set the 30% quota, and Spain's 2022 audiovisual law.