Switzerland’s co-called “Netflix law” will lead to greater international co-production and export opportunities for Swiss content, according to leading figures from the country’s film and TV industry.
Switzerland is poised to roll out legislation – dubbed locally as the “Lex Netflix” (Netflix law) - obliging global streamers such as Amazon, Disney+ and Netflix to reinvest 4% of their Swiss revenue back into local production.
The legislation, scheduled to come into effect in 2024, follows a referendum on the issue last month, which was backed by 58% of voters. Under the Swiss system of direct democracy, voters are called to ballot boxes several times a year to decide on matters of popular interest.
The Alpine nation follows European countries such as France, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Portugal to introduce measures aimed at bolstering domestic production
“Switzerland is now aligning with other European countries. It’s a major achievement as streamers have to commission local work as a result,” said Denis Rabaglia, film director and chairman of the board of the Swiss Society of Authors (SSA.) “It’s a big change for the landscape.”
Rabaglia said producers were already being contacted by Netflix to discuss potential commissioning of new projects to bring into development.
“The positive outcome of the referendum will provide new opportunities for the Swiss film and audio-visual production, in particular with regards to international coproduction of cinematographic works,” said Ivo Kummer, director of the film section at Swiss Federal Office of Culture. “We expect an increased export of Swiss contents through the platforms and an impulse for new series formats, as well as a better visibility for the Swiss audio-visual industry.”
“It’s not a huge amount of money. It could lead to some co-productions and some series, but what it really marks is our entry into the international streaming market,” said Swiss director and producer Daniel Wyss. “This 4% obligation means streamers need to give to the territory, and they need to invest here, into Swiss content. This will then give us material we can export, which is crucial.”
“It is part of streamers’ DNA to produce local content that resonates internationally, be this in South Korea, Italy or elsewhere. So it’s crucial Switzerland leverages this opportunity,” Wyss added.
Domestic television companies have been obliged to channel 4% of their revenue into Swiss productions since 2007, and the referendum extends these rules to global streaming companies.
“We are often afraid we are a bit isolated, but with these new rules we move closer to Europe and to the international audio-visual market,” said Thomas Tribolet, secretary of SFP, the Swiss Film Producers’ Association. “Big streaming companies like Netflix work with big countries like Germany and France, and sometimes they forget little Switzerland exists. With this law, they have to work with us.”
Swiss cinema production totals just over €100 million euros a year, according to Culture Ministry data.
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