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The organization will work with policymakers and regulators across Europe on behalf of companies that invest in and distribute audiovisual content in Europe as part of their core commercial activities. On europeanvodcoalition.com, you can find information about the 14 members of the new organization. The only one directly related to the Polish market is TVN Grupa Discovery (since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery using the name TVN Group).

Other members are Chili (VOD rental company based in Milan present in Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Poland and Austria), Sonner (French-German VOD rental company with European cinema), WarnerBros.Discovery (owner of HBO Max, Discovery +), FilmDoo ( British VOD rental with independent and world cinema), Netflix (the most popular streaming platform in the world), Sky Group (owner of digital platforms and their streaming services in Great Britain, Ireland, Germany and Italy, as well as content creator), Pickbox Now (streaming service with Hollywood and European films, series available, among others, in Croatia), UniversCine (an initiative of 36 Belgian, French and Luxembourg film producers and distributors with over 11,000 films), Nordic Entertainment Group (owner of, among othersViaplay streaming service), Paramount Global (owner of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount +), noKzeDoc.tv (documentary streaming service for French-speaking countries), Starz (streaming service for Lionsgate) and NBCUniversal International (owner including Universal Pictures, 13th Street, Sci-Fi).

140 million subscribers of VOD services by the end of the year

Members of the organization write that they care about the development of streaming services. – Our goal is to create a European public policy framework that will help the VOD sector to develop. VOD is an exciting, fast-growing sector that has grown by 40%. in the years 2010-2020. Investment and growth are driven by one thing: consumer preferences. Millions of Europeans choose VOD services to entertain themselves and their families every day – we read on the organization’s website.

Representatives of the European VOD Coalitions note that, according to data from the European Audiovisual Observatory, European consumers can choose from 198 VOD services in their countries. – The development of VOD has brought a wave of opportunities to the creative industries in Europe. Today, more and more content creators are taking advantage of the VOD sector’s investment in diverse and local content. They have more choice about who to work with. And data from the European Audiovisual Observatory show that their work reaches a wider audience, the organization informs.

According to the European VOD Coalition, by the end of 2022, there will be 140 million subscribers of streaming services in the entire European Union. – Policy makers can help VOD players become a European success story. Reasonable policies will also help the European creative industry to grow and offer a wide variety of content for European consumers, assure the members of the European VOD Coalition.

VOD platforms must share revenues

The organization reports that its priorities are: raising awareness of how the streaming sector works and functions, promoting continued VOD investment in the production of European content in European languages and its distribution worldwide, ensuring that policies affecting VOD are always forward-looking given the rapid evolution of the sector and consumer preferences, speak out against the fragmented implementation of EU policies that undermine the single market and argue for national governments to lower barriers to entry into their markets.

In many countries, regulations have entered into force that may hinder the functioning of the world’s streaming giants, most often associated with American capital. On May 15, the Swiss will decide in a referendum whether streaming platforms (eg Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +) will have to invest 4 percent. passages obtained in this country into local productions. In Poland, the audiovisual fee for the Film Institute is 1.5 percent. on advertising revenues or receipts. In many markets, it is even 4-5 percent. Canal + must invest 26% in cinematography in France. income earned on the Loire. Italy is preparing to introduce a similar legal act, but concerning 20 percent. revenues.

“Investing must be encouraged, not overregulated”

Industry representatives do not hide that they do not like the growing number of regulations regarding streaming services. – Content creators have more choice of partners than ever before through our members. Their work reaches a wider audience and our content is watched all over the world. The time has come to keep encouraging VOD companies to invest in the region and not over-regulate. We want to continue to innovate, enter new markets and create and distribute the best content in the world, said Daniel Friedlaender, Sky’s European director and president of the European VOD Coalition.

Streaming services such as Viaplay are the fastest growing and most innovative media and entertainment companies in Europe. We invest in sustainable and diversified content production across Europe to provide consumers with a wide variety of local and international content. Policy orientations are needed to support this European success story, to reflect the rapid evolution of consumer preferences and to ensure continued investment by telecoms operators in a European high-speed internet infrastructure. There has never been a greater demand for European productions or opportunities for talent and content creators to flourish , said Julia Maxwell, vice president, Nordic Entertainment Group.

Source: Wirtualnemedia