Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video to make major change affecting 18m people

Other leading services including ITVX will also have to follow new rules

Streaming services including Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video have been told they must make a major change to their programmes. Figures show almost 85% of people watch video-on-demand TV every month, with more than 20 million households holding at least one streaming subscription.

Now new rules will make the service more accessible to millions of people. Under the legislation set to be introduced, the UK's biggest video-on-demand services - those with more than 500,000 UK users - will be required to follow similar Ofcom rules to traditional broadcasters.

The government says the move will make programmes easier to access for more than 18 million people across the UK with disabilities impacting their sight or hearing. Under the proposals ministers will legislate to create a new VoD accessibility code, enforced by Ofcom, which will set minimum requirements for accessibility features.

This means mainstream streaming services will need to ensure that at least 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. It is aimed at benefitting Britain’s estimated 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus and 350,000 who are blind or partially sighted so that they can better enjoy world-class content on-demand.

The Government is also 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.

There will be an exemption for VoD services provided by the BBC, such as BBC iPlayer. 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. However, 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, 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.”daily-mirror-icon_lifestyle_ian-murray

Media Minister Ian Murray said: " With UK audiences increasingly favouring on-demand platforms over live TV, we want to ensure that no one is left behind, and that everyone can enjoy the huge range of content available on video-on-demand services. Implementing a new Ofcom-regulated accessibility code for our largest video-on-demand services will give people with disabilities impacting their sight or hearing peace of mind that they’ll be able to stream all their favourite films and TV shows long into the future."

The news was welcomed by charities representing people with hearing and vision loss. Victoria Boelman, Director of Insight and Policy at RNID, said: " Everyone deserves to be able to stream their favourite shows and access a wide variety of content across video on demand services. Being deaf, having hearing loss or other sensory loss should never stand in the way of that.

"Bringing on-demand services in line with traditional broadcasting is much needed, and the new Ofcom rules reflect the significant progress we’ve seen in accessibility since we launched our Subtitle It campaign in 2015. However, we urge the UK’s video on-demand providers to go further than the minimum requirements and not wait for them to come into force – so deaf people and those with hearing loss can access as much content as possible as soon as possible."

Sonali Rai, Senior Manager, RNIB Media, Culture and Immersive Technologies Team, Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: " The introduction of legal requirements for audio description on video-on-demand services is a long-awaited and important step as on-demand viewing becomes the norm for many, including blind and partially sighted audiences.

"From this positive starting point, which should bring much-needed consistency across services, we want to see progress beyond the 10% minimum requirement, so that viewers with sight loss can enjoy as much content as possible. We look forward to continuing our work with the industry and Ofcom to ensure more content is audio described, and that platforms are accessible so blind and partially sighted viewers can independently find and enjoy programmes."

While licensed television channels must comply with Ofcom’s accessibility requirements, such as subtitles, many of the UK’s most popular VoD services are not regulated to the same standard. Some are not regulated in the UK at all. This poses a risk to disabled audiences who may face barriers accessing content.

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.

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