The FPB recently released a draft review of its tariffs, proposing a new licensing model for online distributors in South Africa.

Under its model, online services like Netflix and Showmax will have to pay a “licence fee” per film and per series season it offers.

The FPB currently charges a flat fee of R795,000 per year for service providers, which Netflix and Microsoft have refused to pay.

The change means fees will be cheaper for platforms with less content, like Amazon Prime. For Netflix, the fee will be significantly higher.

On the issue of removing the cap on its licence fees for online distributors, the FPB said it is open to suggestions.

“Those are some of the inputs we are expecting to receive from the industry in assisting us to produce viable and realistic tariffs,” said the FPB.

The tables below summarise the FPB’s proposed tariffs and penalties for online distributors. Film and season counts are from JustWatch.

Proposed annual licence fee

Licence Fees Netflix Showmax Amazon Prime Films 1,903 369 849 FPB Licences R383,314 R95,685 R202,003 Series 644 seasons 214 seasons 126 seasons FPB Licences R637,902 R222,969 R130,692 Total FPB Licensing R1,021,217 R317,655 R332,695

Proposed penalties for non-compliance