The U.K. government said on Tuesday that streaming services with more than 500,000 U.K. users, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ITV’s ITVX and Channel 4’s services, will be covered by enhanced regulation by U.K. media regulator Ofcom “designed to protect audiences and improve accessibility.”
The government unveiled “secondary legislation to implement the Media Act 2024, bringing the largest, most popular VOD services in the U.K. under enhanced regulation by Ofcom,” it said. “Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, and the public service broadcaster VOD services like ITVX and Channel 4, will be required to follow similar Ofcom content rules to those currently in place for traditional broadcasters.”
By designating the most popular streaming platforms as “tier 1” services, they will need to adhere to a new VOD standards code. “Similar to the Broadcasting Code, this will ensure that news is reported accurately and impartially and audiences are protected against harmful or offensive material,” the government said. “Audiences will be able to complain to Ofcom if they see something concerning, and Ofcom will have powers to investigate, and take action, where they consider there has been a breach of the code.”
Under a new accessibility code covering the services, they will be subject to minimum requirements for accessibility features. For example, streamers will need to ensure that at least 80 percent of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10 percent is audio-described, and 5 percent is signed.
The regulations are designed to “reflect the significant shift in how audiences choose to watch TV,” the Labour Party government said. After all, around two-thirds of U.K. households subscribe to at least one service from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+, with 85 percent of people using an on-demand service each month, compared to 67 percent who watch live TV.
“While licensed television channels must comply with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code and accessibility requirements, such as subtitles, many of the U.K.’s most popular VOD services are not regulated to the same standard,” highlighted the government. “Some are not regulated in the U.K. at all. This poses a risk to audiences and a lack of consistency across TV and TV-like services.”
As a result, the U.K. government called its move an attempt to “create a more level regulatory playing field and ensure that U.K. audiences – particularly children and parents – can be confident that protections from harmful material are in place, whether they tune in via traditional channels or a mainstream on-demand service.”
Said Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy: “We know that the way audiences watch TV has fundamentally changed. Millions now choose to watch content on video-on-demand platforms alongside or, in the case of many young people, instead of traditional TV. The Media Act introduced vital updates to our regulatory framework, which this government is committed to implementing. By bringing the most popular video-on-demand services under enhanced regulation by Ofcom, we are strengthening protections for audiences, creating a level playing field for industry and supporting our vibrant media sector that continues to innovate and drive growth across the U.K.”
Ofcom will shortly begin a public consultation on the new standards and accessibility codes to provide an opportunity for the public and providers to set out their views on the rules.
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