Support for Online Streaming Act crosses party lines amidst trade uncertainty: poll

A law that makes U.S. streaming companies financially contribute to the production of Canadian news and entertainment content enjoys broad support across geographic and partisan divides, according to new public opinion data. On April 13, the polling firm Pollara released a new report suggesting 83 per cent of Canadians support the Online Streaming Act, including a majority of Bloc Québécois (95 per cent), Liberal (94 per cent), NDP (85 per cent), and Conservative (65 per cent) voters. The polling was commissioned by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). The Online Streaming Act, introduced by Justin Trudeau’s government in 2022 to update the country’s broadcasting framework, would require companies such as Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., and Spotify AB to provide a portion of their Canadian revenues to organizations including the Indigenous Screen Office, the Canadian Media Fund, and the Community Radio Fund of Canada. The law is currently being challenged in court by several U.S. streaming giants, though various companies have already started directing payments to funding agencies. “These results show that Canadians understand the importance of defending Canada’s cultural sovereignty and our digital future”, said Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the CMPA. “Standing up for the Online Streaming Act is standing up for Canada, and doing so will ensure more Canadian stories are produced for the screen, and that the sector will create jobs and drive long-term economic growth.” The legislation has come into the public spotlight after the White House identified the law as an “irritant” ahead of an upcoming review of North America’s free trade deal, set to begin on July 1. Jamieson Greer, the top trade representative for U.S. President Donald Trump, told a joint congressional committee last year that the “resolution” of the law would be imperative for a successful renewal of the Canada-U.S.- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.) has previously said the streaming act is part of trade discussions with the U.S., as reported by other news outlets. The Pollara report also found nearly three quarters of Canadians (73 per cent) want Ottawa to “stand firm on its cultural policies and digital sovereignty” in the face of pushback from the Trump administration. More than twice as many Canadians (49 per cent) suggested Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) should reject any proposal to repeal the Online Streaming Act in exchange for a CUSMA extension, as opposed to the number of those that endorsed the idea (24 per cent). Additionally, more than 60 per cent of voters from all parties believe the federal government should “set rules for digital platforms operating in Canada,” even if they are headquartered outside the country. That sentiment was also represented across the country as a majority of respondents from B.C. (71 per cent), Alberta (72 per cent), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (73 per cent), Ontario (74 per cent), Quebec (75 per cent), and Atlantic Canada (71 per cent) said they either “strongly” or “somewhat” supported the idea. The polling was based on an online survey of 2,410 Canadians that was conducted between Feb. 19-24. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Support for Online Streaming Act crosses party lines amidst trade uncertainty: poll

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By Davis Legree
|April 13, 2026

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Support for Online Streaming Act crosses party lines amidst trade uncertainty: poll

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