Ofcom Tell Internet Connect TV Platforms to Make UK PSB Content More Prominent

The UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has today launched a new consultation that sets out their plan to introduce a new code for designated connected TV platforms (e.g. Freely, Android TV, Roku OS, Sky Stream, Virgin Media Horizon etc.), which will require them to ensure that content and services (e.g. iPlayer) from Public Service Broadcasters’ (PSBs) are made “prominent” on their services.

The proposed changes reflect the latest phase of Ofcom’s work in implementing the new Media Act 2024, which introduced a new regime to make public service content easier to discover and watch on the connected TV platforms that people increasingly use for choosing and accessing TV programmes.

“For the first time, the most-used connected TV platforms in the UK must make sure BBC iPlayer and any other PSB players designated by Ofcom, along with their public service content, are available and prominent,” said Ofcom’s latest consultation. Connected TV platforms that fall within the scope of this must also take steps to incorporate accessibility features to help disabled users.

The regulator has already revealed the 15 connected TV platforms that have been designated as subject to the new requirements (details), which largely reflects platforms with at least 700,000 active users. The list also includes the new broadband-based live TV streaming platform, Freely, which is supported by most of the major UK TV broadcasters (BBC, ITV etc.) and is an evolution – not (yet) a replacement – for the existing Freeview service (inc. Freeview Play and Freesat).

The latest consultation goes beyond this by focusing on the regulatory duties (Code of Practice) that will apply to designated connected TV platforms and PSBs, which explains how providers of designated connected TV platforms can meet their new prominence and accessibility duties.

Ofcom’s Proposed Code of Practice

➤ Giving an appropriate level of prominence to PSB players, their public service content and any public service channels included in the players.

We are proposing a range of actions for providers to take with regard to the user interface that people see and navigate on connected TV platforms. These include that: designated PSB player apps should be immediately visible and generally appear within the first nine tiles on app menus; when public service content is most relevant to a user search, it should be the most prominent result; and public service content should be clearly attributed to the relevant PSB player.

➤ Making their services accessible to disabled people – particularly those with sight or hearing conditions.

Our proposed recommended actions include: providing a voice guidance function, or similar, as an alternative to visual information; ensuring users can enlarge text and images through a ‘magnification’ or ‘zoom’ function; and making sure accessible content is labelled as such, for example indicating where a programme has subtitles.

Crucially, the Code itself is “not mandatory” for platform providers, but they will be treated as compliant with their prominence and accessibility duties if they adopt the recommended actions it sets out. “Providers may choose to take alternative actions that they consider satisfy these duties, but where they do, they will not automatically be treated as compliant. Should Ofcom have concerns about those actions, we may choose to investigate,” said the regulator.

The consultation will remain open for feedback until 25th March 2026 and Ofcom then intends to issue a statement and the final Code + Guidance “later this year“. But such a major change, once finalised, will take time to fully implement, and so the regulator has proposed to give providers 12 months to bring themselves into compliance with the new regime. But this figure is still subject to potential change.

The issues that Ofcom are touching on above naturally flow into the wider and often-divisive debate over the future of TV distribution in general (here), such as the question of at which 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. Ofcom is of the view that the time for debating such issues is fast running out, and the time for decisions is now upon us.