The UK’s biggest video-on-demand services will have to follow the same rules on content and accessibility as traditional broadcasters, under new legislation being implemented.
Streaming giants including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, and catch-up services like ITV X and Channel 4, are being brought under enhanced regulation by Ofcom.
This means they’ll have to follow the media watchdog’s rules around impartial news reporting, and harmful and offensive content.
The legislation will impact streaming services with more than 500,000 UK users, giving Ofcom the power to accept viewer complaints and investigate streaming platforms, as it currently does with broadcast television.
This will also apply to the public service broadcaster (PSB) video-on-demand (VoD) services, such as ITVX and Channel 4.
VoD services provided by the BBC, such as BBC iPlayer, will continue to be regulated under the Broadcasting Code via the BBC Framework Agreement, for now, but will later be brought under the VoD standards code.
Until now, only licensed television channels have had to comply with Ofcom’s broadcasting code and accessibility requirements, such as subtitles, meaning that many of the UK’s most popular streaming services were not regulated to the same standard. Some were not regulated in the UK at all.
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Under the new rules, any video-on-demand platform with more than half a million users will automatically be designated a “Tier 1” service, bringing them under a new VoD standards code, which will be similar to the Broadcasting Code followed by traditional broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV and Sky News.
The new legislation aims to ensure that news is reported accurately and impartially and audiences – particularly children – are protected against “harmful or offensive” material.
Audiences will be able to complain to Ofcom and, if it considers there has been a breach of the code, it will have the power to take action.
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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 follow to establish the video-on-demand standards code, giving the public and streamers the chance to put forward their views on what should be included.
The standards code will come into effect one year after it is published by Ofcom
The move comes as increasing numbers of viewers are abandoning traditional television for on-demand streaming platforms.
Two-thirds of households subscribe to at least one of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+, with 85% of people using an on-demand service each month, compared with 67% who watch live TV, according to Ofcom’s 2025 Media Nations report.
Earlier this month, Sky announced it would be bringing Disney+, Netflix, Hayu and HBO Max together under one subscription for the first time.
