Ofcom Streaming Services: New requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services
The UK government is moving to bring its largest on-demand platforms under new rules, with ofcom streaming services set to follow broadcast-style standards for content and accessibility. Ministers will lay secondary legislation implementing the Media Act 2024 and create a new video‑on‑demand accessibility code to be enforced by Ofcom.
Ofcom Streaming Services and reach
Ministers say the change will bring mainstream services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ — alongside public service broadcaster VoD offerings like ITVX and Channel 4 — under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Any video‑on‑demand platform with more than 500, 000 UK users will automatically be designated a "Tier 1" service and fall under a new VoD standards code similar to the Broadcasting Code used by traditional broadcasters.
New VoD accessibility code
The government will legislate to create a VoD accessibility code enforced by Ofcom that sets minimum requirements for subtitling, audio description and signing. Mainstream streaming services will be required to ensure at least 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio‑described and 5% is signed. The government describes these figures as minimum targets and says it expects services to go further where possible.
Minimum accessibility targets and timing
Largest mainstream services will have four years to meet the accessibility code requirements, with interim targets after two years. The government says it expects many services will meet the requirements earlier than required. Officials say the changes will benefit Britain’s estimated 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus and 350, 000 who are blind or partially sighted.
Tier 1 designation and complaints
The legislation gives Ofcom the power to accept viewer complaints and investigate streaming platforms, as it does with broadcast television. The proposed standards code will include rules on accuracy and impartiality for news reporting and protections against "harmful or offensive" material, with Ofcom able to take action if it considers there has been a breach of the code.
iPlayer, YouTube and exclusions
VoD services provided by the, including iPlayer, will continue to be regulated under the Broadcasting Code the Framework Agreement for now but will later be brought under the VoD standards code. The government and regulators say the new rules will not apply to video‑sharing platforms such as YouTube, which remain subject to the Online Safety Act 2023.
Changing viewing habits and consultation
The government points to shifting audience behaviour and a decline in live TV viewing as context for the changes. The latest report from ratings body Barb found live TV viewing dropped from 60% to 45% of all viewing between 2022 and 2025, and that a third of audiences who turned on a TV set in the UK chose streaming platforms or YouTube as their first choice of viewing — the same proportion who chose traditional broadcasters, with the final third choosing miscellaneous options.
Ofcom will shortly begin a public consultation on the new VoD accessibility code, creating an opportunity for members of the public and providers to set out their views on the rules to be included in the codes.
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Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "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 UK. "
A public consultation will precede final rules and the government says the changes aim to ensure that UK viewers with disabilities can be confident that appropriate accessibility requirements are in place whether they tune in traditional channels or mainstream on‑demand services.
Ofcom will soon invite comment on the draft code and the government has set out the sequence of legislation: secondary legislation to implement the Media Act 2024, the creation of an Ofcom‑enforced VoD accessibility code with minimum targets, interim targets after two years and full compliance expected within four years for the largest services.
Unclear in the provided context: specific enforcement penalties or sanctions beyond Ofcom's power to take action, and exact dates for the public consultation and the secondary legislation timetable.
