Disney’s VP Of Marketing Explains Why Canada’s Bill C-10 Isn’t A Issue For Disney+
With the streaming platforms expanding worldwide, many governments are starting to introduce or have introduced rules on streaming platforms like Disney+ having to create local content. This is being done to help protect local entertainment businesses and jobs, plus protect local languages and culture.
Europe already has rules for this, which is why Disney announced over 10 Disney+/Star Originals being created in Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. And Canada is set to make some adjustments to it’s Bill C-10 to force companies like Disney and Netflix to make content in Canada.
Recently, Walt Disney Studios Canada’s vice president Greg Mason of marketing spoke with MobileSyrup.com about the launch of “Star” on Disney+ and was asked, about what longer-term investments Disney has planned, for general Disney+ or Star-specific content:
I’m probably not the guy to speak to Bill C-10. But what I will answer for you, to give you some perspective. Disney’s had offices in Canada for, it’s got to be 40-plus years. We’ve been here and we’re proud of that. What I’m especially proud of with Disney+, and the service is that we’re just a little over a-year-old now, and we have shot seven movies and one series in Canada. We’ve shot Home Alone in Longueuil, Quebec. We shot Mighty Ducks in Vancouver. We shot Noël in Vancouver and Whistler, The Secret Society of Second-Born Royals in Toronto, Sneakerella in Hamilton [Ontario], Timmy Failure in Vancouver, Togo in Cochrane, Alberta and Flora & Ulysses in Vancouver.
So we’ve covered four provinces in just over a year. So what I would say is, you look at this company and see that we love shooting in Canada. We love our partners in Canada, our cast and crew and all the ancillary businesses that we like to support for that and we plan to continue to do so. Canada is a very important market for us.
With so many Disney+ Originals and other Disney studios already filming in Canada, it looks like Disney is already heavily invested enough to comply with the rules and continue to do so.
What do you think about governments forcing companies like Disney to make content to operate a streaming service?