Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, what discussions she has had with video streaming companies on the new accessibility proposals.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.

Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.

Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.