Big UK Streamers Must Hit New Accessibility Quotas
The UK government is implementing provisions of the Media Act 2024 that bring the largest video-on-demand services under Ofcom regulation for accessibility, aligning them with traditional broadcasters. Major platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ITVX and Channel 4’s VoD service will be required to meet minimum quotas for accessibility features, such as 80% of catalogues subtitled, 10% audio-described and 5% signed within four years. Ofcom will develop and consult on a new VoD accessibility code to enforce these rules, which aim to improve access for millions of UK viewers with hearing or sight impairments.
Key Takeaways
- Ofcom-regulated accessibility code will apply to the UK's largest VoD services, aligning them with broadcast rules.
- Minimum targets: 80% subtitling, 10% audio description, 5% signing across catalogues within four years (interim two-year targets).
- Ofcom will consult and enforce the new code—platforms not previously UK-regulated now face compliance timelines and potential sanctions.
- Policy affects ~18 million people with hearing loss and 350,000 blind/partially sighted viewers and creates operational, metadata and catalog-remediation work for streamers.
Why It Matters
This is a structural shift: regulators are treating mainstream streaming like broadcast, not a light-touch platform. For streaming executives and investors that means predictable regulatory risk, non-trivial catalog remediation costs, and renewed focus on metadata, UX discovery for accessibility features, and rights-clearance for described/signed versions. Strategically, early movers who invest to exceed minimums gain user loyalty, differentiation and lower future compliance spend; laggards face reputational and enforcement exposure. The move also sets a template for other markets—accessibility is becoming a defensible product requirement, not just a compliance checkbox.
Read full article at gov.uk
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