Ofcom Streaming Services: Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video to Face Broadcast‑Style Rules in UK
The government has moved to bring ofcom streaming services under a broadcast‑style regulatory regime, extending enhanced oversight to Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney+ and bringing public service video‑on‑demand services into the same framework. The package, implemented under the Media Act 2024, sets content and accessibility expectations, complaint powers and financial penalties designed to match the standards applied to traditional television.
Ofcom Streaming Services: what the enhanced regulation covers
The new regulatory regime will place the largest streaming platforms under the same scrutiny as licensed broadcasters such as the and ITV. Platforms designated under the rules must adhere to requirements on accurate and impartial news reporting and on protecting audiences from harmful or offensive material. Ofcom will be empowered to accept viewer complaints, investigate alleged breaches and take enforcement action where necessary.
Who is in scope and the threshold for action
The measures apply to video‑on‑demand services that reach more than 500, 000 UK viewers. Any service above that threshold will be automatically designated a Tier 1 service and brought under a new VoD standards code intended to mirror the existing Broadcasting Code. Public service broadcaster VoD services, including ITVX and Channel 4, will also fall within the regime.
Complaint handling and penalties
Under the new rules, Ofcom will be able to accept complaints from viewers about on‑demand content and investigate services in the same way it does for broadcast television. The regulator can impose fines of up to £250, 000, or 5% of revenue generated in the UK, for each breach of the code.
Accessibility requirements and timelines
The government will introduce a new VoD accessibility code, enforced by Ofcom, setting minimum targets for mainstream streaming catalogues. The baseline requirements are:
- at least 80% of the total catalogue subtitled,
- 10% audio‑described, and
- 5% signed.
These measures are aimed at benefiting Britain’s estimated 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, and the 350, 000 people who are blind or partially sighted. The largest mainstream services will have four years to meet the requirements, with interim targets after two years; ministers expect many providers to achieve the standards sooner. Ofcom will shortly begin a public consultation on the draft accessibility code.
How this changes the regulatory landscape
Until now, only licensed television channels had to comply with the Broadcasting Code and accessibility obligations such as subtitles and audio description, and some popular streaming platforms were not regulated in the UK at all. Netflix has not previously been regulated in the UK because its European headquarters are in Amsterdam and it has been subject to Dutch law. The new framework closes that gap by bringing the biggest on‑demand services into parity with broadcast channels.
Government rationale and industry implications
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said that bringing the most popular video‑on‑demand services under enhanced regulation by Ofcom strengthens protections for audiences, creates a level playing field for industry and supports the media sector. The move reflects changing viewing habits: two‑thirds of UK households now subscribe to at least one of the three biggest streaming services—Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+—and 85% of people use an on‑demand service each month, compared with 67% who watch live TV.
What to expect next
Implementation will proceed through secondary legislation tied to the Media Act 2024. Providers should prepare for the accessibility targets and for Ofcom’s expanded complaint and enforcement remit. The public consultation on the VoD accessibility code will invite views from viewers and providers; details and timelines for designation and enforcement will follow as the consultation concludes. Recent updates indicate further guidance and formal designation criteria will be published as the process advances; details may evolve.
