Ofcom Streaming Services: What Britain’s Biggest VoD Platforms Must Do—And Who Notices First

The push to regulate ofcom streaming services matters first for viewers with sight or hearing limitations: the new rules set minimum accessibility quotas and create clearer routes for complaints, changing who can reliably access on-demand shows. Here’s the part that matters — the government is creating a VoD accessibility code and a VoD standards code to bring major streaming platforms under broadcaster-style obligations, and that will reshape availability and enforcement on those services.

How viewers with hearing or sight loss will see change immediately

Mainstream streaming platforms will be required to meet specific accessibility minimums so that audiences who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted gain practical improvements. The rules set targets for platforms to ensure at least 80% of a service’s total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described and 5% is signed. This is framed explicitly as matching requirements traditional broadcasters already follow, with the government calling these baseline targets and expecting services to go beyond them where possible.

Benefits are quantified in the announcement: Britain’s estimated 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, and 350, 000 who are blind or partially sighted are named as the groups the measures aim to help. The real question now is how quickly platforms will adapt their back catalogues versus prioritising new releases.

What’s easy to miss is the page presenting the changes also includes the site’s standard cookie prompts — noting essential cookies, optional additional cookies to understand usage and deliver content from other sites, plus options to accept, reject or change those settings.

Ofcom Streaming Services: rules, thresholds and what gets covered

The government is laying secondary legislation to implement the Media Act 2024 and bring the largest, most popular video-on-demand services under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Named examples of platforms in scope include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, together with public-service VoD services such as ITVX and Channel 4. The announcement also notes that some of the UK’s most popular streaming services were not regulated to the same standard before now, and some were not regulated in the UK at all.

• Automatic Tier 1 designation: any VoD platform with more than 500, 000 UK users will be automatically designated a “Tier 1” service and brought under the new VoD standards code.
• Content standards: the VoD standards code will be similar to the Broadcasting Code and include rules on accuracy and impartiality for news plus protections against harmful or offensive material, with particular consideration for children.
• Complaints and enforcement: Ofcom will be given the power to accept viewer complaints, investigate streaming platforms and take action where it considers there has been a breach of the code.
• services: VoD services provided by the will continue to be regulated under the Broadcasting Code the Framework Agreement for now, but will later be brought under the VoD standards code.

Timing, targets and consultation

The largest mainstream services will have four years to meet the accessibility code requirements, with interim targets after two years. The government states it expects many services will meet the requirements earlier than formally required. Ofcom will shortly begin a public consultation on the new VoD accessibility code, offering the public and providers a chance to comment on the specific rules that will be included.

Market signals and viewing changes that drove this move

Policy notes in the coverage underline why lawmakers acted: audiences increasingly favour on-demand platforms over live TV. A ratings body’s figures cited in the material show live TV viewing falling from 60% to 45% of all viewing between 2022 and 2025. That research also found that a third of audiences who turned on a TV set went to streaming platforms or YouTube as their first choice — the same share as those who went to traditional broadcasters, with the remaining third categorized as miscellaneous. These shifts are central to the government’s argument for a level playing field between broadcasters and big VoD services.

It is also noted that the new rules are not intended to cover video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, which are addressed under separate legislation (the Online Safety Act 2023).

Practical implications for viewers and platforms

Here are concise signals of what changes and who will feel the impact first:

• Accessibility improvements for millions of viewers with hearing or sight loss as services phase in 80% subtitles, 10% audio description and 5% signing.
• Clearer redress for viewers: complaints about impartiality, harmful content or accessibility will be able to reach Ofcom for investigation.
• Threshold-based scope: platforms with more than 500, 000 UK users will face the new obligations automatically.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is quoted emphasising that viewing habits have fundamentally changed, with millions choosing on-demand platforms alongside or instead of traditional TV, and saying that implementing the Media Act updates will strengthen audience protections, create a level playing field and support the media sector’s growth.

The writer’s aside: The bigger signal here is that regulators are now aligning technical accessibility and editorial standards across delivery platforms, not just legacy broadcasters — the mechanics of enforcement and the speed of catalog upgrades will determine how tangible the change feels to everyday viewers.

Recent updates indicate Ofcom’s public consultation will set the precise contours of the codes; details may evolve as providers and the public respond.