Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ to be regulated by Ofcom in UK

Streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ will be required to follow similar Ofcom rules to traditional broadcasters under new legislation being implemented.

The UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, those with more than 500,000 UK users, will be brought under “enhanced regulation” by the watchdog.

The Government is laying secondary legislation to implement laws 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.

The regulations include an exemption for VoD services provided by the BBC, such as BBC iPlayer, as these services will continue to be regulated under the Broadcasting Code via the BBC Framework Agreement for the time being.

Until now, only licensed television channels were obliged to comply with Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code and accessibility requirements, such as subtitles, but many of the UK’s most popular streaming services were not regulated to the same standard, with some not regulated in the UK at all.

Under new rules, any video-on-demand platform with more than 500,000 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 and ITV.

It is intended that BBC UK VoD services will in due course be brought under the VoD standards code at the same time as other Tier 1 services.

The new legislation aims to ensure that news is reported accurately and impartially and audiences 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.

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.”

There will be a public consultation 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 then 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.