AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council reportedly says streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ could owe the City a whole lot of money. According to a report from Community Impact, the council has authorized contracting outside legal services for a potential lawsuit.
The report states that City officials believe the companies have avoided paying fees related to local video streaming in Austin for over a decade. According to a City spokesperson, under state law, private use of the City's right of way requires some sort of compensation.
"Since 2007, the video streaming companies such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney have provided their video services to subscribing customers via broadband internet through wireline facilities located at least partially in the public right of way," a City spokesperson told Community Impact in an email.
Community Impact said the City did not respond to several questions related to the potential scope of the missed payments and details on City infrastructure involved in the claim.
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