Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Media Act Implementation Advances as UK Prepares New Rules for Video-on-Demand Services
The UK’s video-on-demand market is entering a new regulatory phase as the Media Act 2024 introduces enhanced oversight for major streaming platforms. The changes reflect a shift in viewing habits, with data from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport indicating that two-thirds of households subscribe to at least one major streaming service and that on-demand viewing now exceeds traditional linear television.
Under the new framework, certain platforms will be designated as “Tier 1” services and brought under expanded supervision by Ofcom. These services will be required to comply with new content standards and accessibility requirements, aligning them more closely with the regulatory regime applied to traditional broadcasters.
Draft regulations published by the government set out that platforms with more than 500,000 average monthly users in the UK will fall within the Tier 1 category. This threshold is expected to capture major global platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, as well as several UK-based services. The regulations are scheduled to come into force in April 2026, although the final number of designated services may be higher than initially anticipated.
The approach allows flexibility, as the designation is based on criteria rather than a fixed list of platforms. However, this may create uncertainty for services operating close to the threshold. The framework also extends to certain international providers targeting UK audiences, broadening the scope of regulation beyond domestically established services.
Alongside these developments, Ofcom has reviewed existing audience protection measures across on-demand programme services. These include tools such as age ratings, content warnings, parental controls and age verification systems. The regulator concluded that such measures are generally effective but vary between platforms and could be improved in terms of consistency and transparency.
Ofcom noted that viewers value parental controls and PIN systems, particularly when they operate consistently across devices. It also found that audiences respond positively to clear and specific content warnings, especially when provided at the level of individual episodes rather than entire series. At the same time, the regulator highlighted that services could do more to inform users about available protection tools and how to use them.
The findings are expected to inform the forthcoming Video-on-Demand Code, which will set out detailed compliance requirements for Tier 1 services. These rules will play a central role in ensuring appropriate safeguards for under-18s and in addressing harmful or offensive content, while maintaining proportionality and avoiding unnecessary barriers to user experience.
“The widespread use of audience protection measures across services is broadly adequate, but there are differences in how they are applied and understood by users,” Ofcom noted in its review. The regulator added that “clear, specific content warnings and consistent parental controls are particularly valued by audiences.”
The implementation timeline provides a transition period for operators. Tier 1 services will be required to comply with content standards within one year of the publication of the new code, while accessibility requirements will be phased in over a longer period.
Further consultations are expected in 2026, including on both the Video-on-Demand Code and a separate accessibility framework. These will define the extent of obligations for streaming platforms as the UK moves toward a more comprehensive regulatory model for on-demand media.
Source: CMS
