Warner Bros stares down Australian content quotas ahead of local Max launch
Max, the company’s streaming service, will face new quotas for Australian drama content, joining Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ as targets of local content investment rules.
Warner Bros Discovery could be forced to ramp up its Australian programming as it prepares for the local launch of its standalone streaming platform, Max, amid looming local content quotas.
The US entertainment conglomerate, which owns HBO and a string of media assets including CNN and TNT, will launch Max in Australia during the first half of next year, by which time the government is expected to legislate its hotly contested local streaming quotas.
These proposed streaming quotas, which are months behind schedule, are designed to set minimum levels of investment in local drama content for streamers operating in Australia. The world’s largest entertainment companies — including Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, and Amazon’s Prime Video — have staunchly opposed the plans.
Warner Bros Discovery already produces a range of Australian programs, including Foxtel drama The Twelve, as well as reality shows The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, FBoy Island, and The Masked Singer. However, reality programs would not count towards the government’s quotas.
