Turkish regulator probes Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and other streaming services
Remote control pointed at smart TV displaying a grid of streaming content, accessed on March 16, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
The Turkish Competition Authority launched an investigation on Sunday into six major streaming platforms operating in Türkiye, citing potential violations of the country’s competition laws.
In a statement released following its Feb. 27 meeting, the Competition Board announced it found sufficient evidence to open a formal investigation into Netflix, Disney+, Exxen, BluTV, Amazon, and Gain for possible violations of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition.
The investigation targets both international streaming giants and local platforms that provide subscription-based video-on-demand services for films, series, and other creative content.
Biggest international and local platforms targeted in probe
According to the Competition Authority’s statement, the investigation will primarily focus on whether Netflix has abused its dominant market position in violation of Article 6 of Law No. 4054 by:
- Imposing exclusivity conditions on producers, distributors, and copyright holders in licensing agreements for platform content
- Applying exclusivity restrictions on talent, including actors, directors, and screenwriters
- Discriminating among Turkish producers and/or talent involved in original content
- Favoring its own original productions over those from independent producers
Additionally, the investigation will examine whether all six platforms—Netflix, Disney+, Exxen, Gain, Amazon, and BluTV—have violated Article 4 of the same law through exclusive agreements with content providers such as producers and distributors, as well as with talent including actors, directors, and screenwriters, and through other potentially anti-competitive agreements and practices.
The investigation was formally opened with decision number 25-08/185-M, targeting the economic entities comprising Netflix Inc., Los Gatos Türkiye Broadcasting Services, Los Gatos Türkiye Media Entertainment Ltd., and Los Gatos Türkiye Management Support Services Ltd.; The Walt Disney Company Media Entertainment and Trade Ltd. and Disney XD Television Broadcasting; Exxen Digital Broadcasting; BluTV Communication and Digital Broadcasting Services; Amazon.com Sales, Inc., Amazon.com Services LLC, Amazon Seller Services Private Limited, Amazon Digital UK Limited, Amazon Türkiye Retail Services Ltd., and Amazon Türkiye Video Digital Broadcasting; and Gain Media.
