Senior representatives of Netflix’s UK team and broadcaster Sky have told a UK government committee that Public Service Broadcasters remain an important part of the country’s wider entertainment industry.
Despite firm questioning from the panel, the pair declined to offer their own opinions on what changes to the license fee could or should be made, a crucial debate topic right now as the BBC faces growing holes in its finances and enhanced scrutiny from the incumbent government over the fee. Both Mensah and King did, however, make a point of proclaiming that PSBs are crucial to the UK biz and thus also Netflix’s work here.
Netflix has been benefiting from both that ‘brand’ and the production infrastructure that the UK can provide, with highly trained experienced crews, quality talent, and good amounts of studio space. The committee asked the speakers if they benefited so strongly form the PSBs in terms of talent incubation and investment, should they not have to support them in return?
“We have a very strong interest of our own to keep price inflation under control. We would be the first to feel that [increase in costs],” she responded. “There is inflation, reflection of an extremely competitive market, and pressure on studio infrastructure and crew. We are trying to alleviate that ourselves.”
Speaking on a later panel, Sky’s Zai Bennett, Managing Director, Content, and Ali Law, Director of Policy, said that competition between the PSBs and the more commercial broadcasters was healthy for the industry.