Ofcom Tell BBC, ITV, Channel 4, C5, STV and S4C to Improve TV Content on YouTube
Ofcom has today warned that “traditional public-service TV is endangered” as more UK broadband users turn to online streaming platforms like YouTube. The regulator has thus published a new six-point action plan to tackle this, which includes urging broadcasters to make their content “easy to find and discover” on third-party platforms.
In 2024, the regulator states that 60% of all individuals viewed YouTube videos over their home broadband connection. Recent growth was driven by viewing on connected TVs with 42% of in-home YouTube viewing on the TV set (up from 34% in 2023) now that more than seven in ten households have connected TVs.
In addition, older audiences are also increasingly turning to YouTube, for example 75 year-olds and over now watch an average of ten minutes of YouTube a day (an increase of 46% since 2022). Suffice to say that the old model of content distribution, such as via terrestrial signals or specially controlled platforms (e.g. Freely), is under “serious threat” and requires some adaption.
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Audience choice is now wider than it’s ever been, while broadcasters are experiencing fundamental financial challenges and structural change in the advertising market. And in this environment, public service broadcasters are finding it much harder to fund the production and distribution of quality UK content to all audiences.
However, Ofcom warns “there is no silver bullet that will address the challenges that the sector is facing“, and so they’ve proposed six recommendations – requiring a collective effort from public service broadcasters (PSB), social media and video sharing platforms, the Government, and of course the regulator itself.
Ofcom’s Six Point Action Plan
1. Prominence and discoverability for PSM content on the third-party platforms that audiences increasingly turn to. To deliver on this:
➤ The PSBs need to keep adapting to audience preferences by constantly challenging themselves to test and iterate new ways of distributing and creating content for diverse audience groups.
➤ It is critical that the PSBs and YouTube work together to ensure that PSB content is prominent on its service, and on fair commercial terms. This is important for PSM to continue to connect with all audiences, particularly for news, which supports democracy, and for UK children’s programming which helps young audiences learn and grow.
➤ The Government should consider whether this needs to be underpinned by legislation. This would require significant work but would give prominence for PSB content on YouTube statutory backing, just as the Media Act provides PSB players prominence on connected TVs and other devices.
➤ More widely, the Government may wish to explore prominence for news on social media and other platforms, even though implementation would be complex and would need to reflect the different ways that platforms promote content to users. In the meantime, the PSBs need to work with other VSPs and social media platforms to ensure their content is available and easily discovered by users.
2. Stable and adequate funding to sustain a broad range of PSM content, including trusted and accurate news, and programmes that showcase the diversity of the whole of the UK and bring the country together:
➤ Stakeholders have called for a range of measures to support funding for PSM content like levies and changes to tax credits to fund specific PSM genres. It is for the Government to consider these, and to lead work on the future funding of the BBC through its Charter Review. However, if there is to be new funding we recommend that it should prioritise genres that are socially valuable but commercially less viable and attract lower advertising revenues, such as news, local news and children’s programming.
➤ Content creators need to earn a fair return for their work on third-party platforms, including when used to train GenAI services. The Government is considering responses to its consultation on AI and copyright. The CMA has also recently opened a consultation on Google Search, which includes a number of potential interventions that should help improve commercial terms for content creators who rely on search.
➤ Ofcom’s regulation will continue to support the provision of content that reflects the diversity of the UK – particularly in the nations and regions – including through targeted and proportionate quotas.
3. Urgent clarity on how TV will be distributed in the future.
The PSBs are required to be universally available. As viewers increasingly move online, they have to broadcast over Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) while also investing in distribution across multiple platforms. In this context, delivering content over DTT is quickly moving from being one of the PSBs’ most valuable benefits to a significant cost. These resources could otherwise be used to both create PSM content and experiment with strategies for engaging all audiences in a rapidly evolving sector.
➤ Last year Ofcom published a review of the options for the future of DTT including implications for spectrum use and digital infrastructure. We said a decision by Government would be needed within the next two years and we continue to believe a decision in early 2026 would allow sufficient time. A later decision risks undermining the investment and innovation needed to put universal TV distribution on a sustainable footing inclusive of all audiences.
4. More ambitious partnerships amongst the PSBs.
Modern media organisations need technology to reach audiences and compete with global platforms who they depend on in some cases to reach viewers. Scale is critical for the PSBs’ and domestic broadcasters’ ability to connect with all audiences in a fast-moving sector:
➤ The PSBs (and other UK providers) will need to be ambitious in pursuing new strategic partnerships – in technology and how they reach audiences.
➤ Regulators, including Ofcom, need to assess any mergers or partnerships in the context of an up-to-date assessment of market conditions, recognising there continues to be fundamental change in the sector.
➤ In its Creative Industries Sector Plan the Government has asked the CMA, supported by Ofcom, to assess how sector changes could affect the approval of “strategic partnerships or possible consolidation between broadcasters which may benefit their financial sustainability and audiences.”
5. Investment in media literacy is vital for everyone’s ability to use digital services and to understand and critically engage with news and content.
Media literacy is, defined as the ability to use, understand and create media and communications across multiple formats and services. With the emergence of new technologies (including new forms of AI) the media landscape is only going to get more complex and personalised. Broadcasters are in a unique place to support audiences to critically engage with news content from a range of sources, distinguish fact from fiction, provide transparency about how they establish facts and raise awareness about conspiracy theories and prevalent fraud schemes. To help audiences develop their media and digital literacy skills:
➤ The PSBs need to invest and contribute to media literacy in the UK and use their distinctive and trusted relationship with audiences to give them confidence to use digital services.
➤ The BBC plays a further role, supporting media literacy through its children’s education initiatives. It is also considering how it can further support young people’s digital literacy skills so they can better assess trusted information and recognise disinformation.
➤ Alongside broadcasters, online platforms including social media and VSPs, should enable media literacy by design. This autumn Ofcom will publish a Statement of Recommendations under the Online Safety Act, setting out how online platforms and broadcasters can empower their users to understand and engage with online media and services.
➤ Ofcom has longstanding duties to promote media literacy and support others to carry out media literacy activities. But when it comes to the curriculum and education spending, it is for Governments – in Westminster and the nations – to ensure that the modern education system gives children and adults the skills they need for the future.
6. Streamlined regulation which strips away any outdated unnecessary restrictions.
The majority of the current legislative and regulatory framework was designed for a linear world. It needs a fundamental review to determine what is required to support audiences as they shift their viewing and listening online and to encourage growth and innovation.
➤ Ofcom is already implementing the Media Act which provides critical support for the PSBs, in particular through giving them greater flexibility to meet their obligations across their linear and online services and making their on-demand players prominent on connected TVs.
➤ We are also working with Government on its BBC Charter review which will play a central role in supporting the future of PSM.
➤ In parallel, we will review our regulation of broadcast TV and radio. We will seek input from stakeholders about the priority areas for reforming regulation and supporting the future provision of PSM content. We will look at what further reform is needed to ensure regulation supports all audiences benefitting from PSM content in the future and how we can ensure audiences are protected from harm wherever they are. This may involve legislative change as well as changes to our regulation.
➤ Before the end of the year, we will publish a comprehensive call for evidence on the work we are intending to do.
If no action is taken, Ofcom states that “the very existence of the PSBs will be threatened” and that “time is running out to save this pillar of UK culture and way of life“.
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Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Ofcom’s Broadcasting and Media Group Director, said:
“Public service media is stitched into the cultural fabric of UK society. It starts conversations, educates and informs, and brings us together in moments of national importance.
But in a world dominated by global streaming platforms, public service media risks becoming an endangered species, and time is running out to intervene to protect it.
Our six-point plan would involve collective action from broadcasters, online platforms, the Government and Ofcom. It maps out a clear route that would help sustain public service media for the future.”
The issues that Ofcom are touching on above naturally flow into the often-divisive debate over the future of TV distribution in general (here) and at what point it may become necessary to start switching off the old terrestrial signals in favour of a broadband-only delivery model. Not to mention future funding and the TV licence fee, which is always a “fun” topic and still the subject of much debate.
The PSBs currently support a transition to IPTV in the 2030s as it is becoming increasingly challenging “to bear double costs from running multiple distribution platforms”. However, without intervention, by 2040, some 5% of homes (1.5 million) are currently forecast to still be relying on digital terrestrial television via the airwaves.
The regulator clearly warns that the time for debating such issues is fast running out, and the time for decisions is now upon the government. “Without PSBs there would be significantly less UK content and there is a risk that society becomes ever more fragmented and polarised,” claimed Ofcom. But taking those decisions will undoubtably come with a whole can of worms.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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What a bloody waste of taxpayer money. Let them figure out their own strategies or die their natural death! Our society being fragmented is not caused by TV, nor is it going to be fixed by TV. Fragmentation and polarisation of our society is caused by excessive use of social media, cultures mixing but not integrating, and the Government failing to protect traditions.
No doubt this is preparation to start enforcing TV licence for the use of YouTube.
Previous governments have looked at both “bit taxes” and a duty on broadband subscriptions. This government has even looked at the option of charging for the BBC through local council tax supplements. It is almost inevitable that there will be some sort of duty imposed in order to fund the BBC.
@Far2329Light, I hope not, I don’t pay for a licence because I have little interest in supporting the BBC and with what is happening now and in the years gone by, I don’t see why I should.
I know the BBC don’t want it funded by direct tax or council tax, so that leaves sticking a fee on streaming, and I think that was ruled out.
I think the BBC should go subscription based or adverts., if not then keep the licence fee as it is but without any letters and threats that are sent to people who don’t want to pay to support the BBc.
@ Ad47uk:
I agree. I have no wish to fund a media outlet that I do not consume; unfortunately, that is not how the current government thinks.
The Council Tax supplement is the latest idea because the final cost to a resident will be based on a rough measurement of wealth.
The BBC is moving toward a streaming-only service. This has been an aspiration within Whitehall for some time, but the infrastructure is not in place yet, nor pervasive. It would also potentially open up international markets, but elements in eth BBC are resisting the latter.
The outcome will likely be something like the existing players, such as ITVX, where you need to be registered with some content only available via subscription packages.
The BBC is unlikely to move to a commercials-based funding model because the advertising revenues have disappeared in that sector and are now going to Google instead. The result is that available linear advertising is not sufficient to keep the other UK media organisations afloat, let alone fund The BBC.
@Far2329Light,
Nandy said that the BBC will not be funded by general tax, so that should include council tax
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3wwkdnddzo
Also if they use council tax to fund the BBC, then it is not independent any more,
We will have to wait and see, the licence fee may stay as it is. While not ideal, it would be better than being forced to pay for the BBC,
@Ad47uk:
Lisa Nandy is only the Minister for Culture. She does not control the purse strings nor address the funding of the government’s policies.
We currently have a government that has collapsed the economy and is making commitments to future expenditure. It is already planning another round of tax increases and is risking a market event on UK debt. So far, we have had a government that has made promises not to increase taxes and then gone on to exact that. The government is losing control of circumstances, and you cannot take anything they say as being final because events will turn the ship.
P.S. Bigger hitters than Nandy are backing the Local Tax supplement.
“legislation… [to] give prominence for PSB content on YouTube”
Sounds like an admission of defeat – that the PSB output is not interesting or engaging enough for a modern audience, and the only way to get it watched is to rig the YouTube rankings.
I have not had a TV since about 2005. I have not had a requirement for a TV Licence since about 2018. I would not subscribe to any of their channels even if they were on YouTube in order to avoid any risk of being liable to pay for a TV Licence.
Maybe we could start from turning ancient SD DVB-T to DVB-T2 and start offering 1080 content only. Then remove dozens of channels offering junk content.
I agree but as 1–2 million UK homes still use DVB-T-only Freeview equipment, this migration should be maanged well to minimise disruption. Some of the poor or vulnerable can be helped by a free DVB-T2 box and installation.
There was a report produced last year by Ofcom that suggested that the UK media industry is no longer committed to DTT and that there will come a tipping point where it will no longer be commercially viable.
So, other than perhaps low-hanging fruit, I do not think there will be any further major investment in DVB in the UK unless Ofcom comes up with specific recommendations. The intent would seem to be that the wavebands will eventually be freed up for other services, most likely 5G/6G, with programming content shifting to IPTV. Several of the device manufacturers are also reticent to adopt recent DVB/C/S developments.
Just another got to do something to justify our jobs exercise by Ofcom
I’ve “turned to YouTube” to get away from the output of “BBC, ITV, Channel 4, C5” etc. I can go on YouTube and watch interesting niche hobby stuff, travel videos, whatever I feel like watching; or I can stay with the broadcasters and watch this week’s bleak, miserable, violent drama and feel my mental health sap away. If they put out programming that wasn’t so miserable, maybe more of us would still watch their stations. The programming they churn out is creepy.
As the poster above says, this is likely to be a precursor to them saying “now that BBC programming is on YouTube, you’ll need a TV licence to have an internet connection” and potentially charging for it as part of internet access fees.
exactly this!
I have seen an increase in the amount of channel 4 documentaries on there.
I do find it funny that ofcom basically said: “look guys you are becoming irrelevant” then proceed to make them put it on YouTube where it likely isn’t going to get watched anyway
Yes. I saw the Channel4 channel pop-up for a few weeks, but it no longer gets promoted in the rankings, and so it is as if it never existed.
I really don’t want these TV stations polluting my YouTube. I assume it will be like shorts where no matter how many times you click ‘not interested’ it keeps coming back. Yet another unnecessary nuisance on the web to deal with…
Because 1080p30 looks so good on a large TV….
I long for the day when the first TV manufacturer becomes the trendsetter and removes all support for DVB-T, DVB-T2 and DVB-S2 and just has a TV be for connecting it to the internet for content so you never have to pay for a TV licence buying one and it will save some money to the customer buying it.
You don’t have to get a TV licence if you buy a TV, that have been a thing for years, the retailer doesn’t even have to notify the TVL any more and that have been like if for a few years now. A licence is for live TV and the BBC iPlayer.
I have not had a licence for 9 years or so and I got a new TV around 5 years ago.
I think that is available already and it is called a monitor.
Ofcom seem to be focusing on everything except their core remit, how on earth is it within their remit to specify where content should be displayed in
YouTube was launched as video sharing platform in 2005, and it’s great as it is.
We don’t need all this cr@p from BBC, ITV ECT they have their own apps for anyone who’s interested.
You understand they’ve had content on YouTube for years now, this is only talking about increasing the amount on their channels
And as great as YouTube is you don’t need to subscribe to it
Maybe if stv fixed their player and it wasn’t crashing or buffering all the time people would be more invested to watch their programmes.
One easy way to attract viewers is to actually improve picture quality.
I can find YouTube videos by small teams shot in high quality and distributed in 4K HDR. ITV in particular seem to think that low bitrate video is good enough but it’s uninteresting to watch on any TV of decent size or quality.
iPlayer is marginally better, but not significantly, and there’s so little available in 4K or HDR.
Damn, if they do this, BBC will start saying you can’t watch youtube without a license -.-
You already require a TVL license for YT if you’re using it to view simulcasts of broadcast/linear TV.
As the article points out, Ofcom is looking at the transition to IPTV for universal service delivery happening in the 2030s, but the breadth of cost pressures on content vendors and consumers may have a practical effect of bringing the transition forward, with it being driven by the consumers rather than the regulator.
That is the whole point of Freely, at some point in the future, to replace Freeview. I don’t think Freeview will vanish for a fair few years. Everyone will need decent broadband and there are still places that don’t even have FTTC, never mind Fibre.
There are also people out there that don’t have, don’t want or need broadband in their home, so why should they pay extra just to get TV? They use their phones or tablets connected to a mobile network and that does them. So there will need to be some sort of limited free broadband for them.
Freely itself is only available in certain TV sets, mainly the cheaper Vestal based sets and also Hisense. I presume more will get on board at some point.
TV sets can last for years, so unless Everyone TV bring out some sort of dongle, then there are going to be a lot of sets that can’t get Freely. By all accounts, it is not going to be an app.
I think Freeview will be here for the next 15–20 years, it may have fewer channels, with just BBC, ITV Ch4 and % on, but it will still be here. But I don’t have a crystal ball and I can’t see into the future, so I could be wrong, but if I am not, then a lot of people are going to be left with no replacement for Freeview and if the Licence fee is still with us in the same format, the BBC will lose more money, Hopefully.
@ Ad47uk:
Freely is indeed a step towards migrating broadcast TV it IPTV, but there is a reluctance from the major manufacturers (representing about 70pc of the market) to provide Freely on their products. If they can not be convinced to adopt and support the product Freely will have negligible impact.
@Ad47uk:
Connectivity: Nothing is free.
You do not need a fibre connection to consume HiDef TV over wireless. We do not have the required infrastructure in place, but the timelines for the TV transition are set for after 2030, when we will have more widespread availability of fixed/wireless broadband.
If anything the BBC should be cut back. Take it back to one TV channel that can have regional opt outs for news and weather. The BC should be taken out of local radio totally
S$C should be taken out of the main TV licence and it be transferred to the Welsh Government the same for Albas which should be transferred to the Scottish government
You Tube are the most annoying adverts every 5 minutes (far too many of it) The PC can block it using AdGuard to block it but it can’t block on normal smart tv.
Hint: You do not need a TV to consume TV.
Potentially, I quite like this as an idea. As YouTube have really got their app and content distribution system polished so why not leverage this to put BBC/ITV/C4/C5 programmes where people are actually watching content nowadays anyway. Then, the BBC will no longer need to worry about maintaining the iPlayer.
YouTube could offer broadcasters their own customisable section e.g. a “YouTube within YouTube” that would be akin to the iPlayer. If the UK did abolish the license fee then it would be a simple case of geoblocking BBC content on YouTube to allow UK viewers only and disabling ads.
I suppose the downside is this would leave us without a sovereign broadcasting platform.
“invest in media literacy” = brainwash people to watch state propaganda
In modern days even taking taxpayer money the bbc cannot compete in entertainment, information or anything else with private companies and independent creators
Just let it collapse, it’s embarrassing getting rid of Gary Lineker because finally he said something shocking enough and then hiring the most bitter youngest grandpa Wayne Rooney for an insane amount of money