Imagine watching your favorite show on Netflix or Disney+ and suddenly being startled by an annoyingly loud commercial that drowns out the dialogue or music. This common frustration has sparked a significant change in California law. The state has passed a groundbreaking regulation that prohibits streaming services from airing commercials at volumes louder than the shows or movies themselves. This move aims to protect viewers from jarring audio spikes and reduce the so-called noise pollution caused by aggressive advertising.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law Senate Bill 576, which was championed by Senator Thomas Umberg of Santa Ana. The bill sailed through both the California Senate and Assembly with unanimous support, reflecting widespread agreement on the need to tame intrusive ad volumes on streaming platforms. Starting July 1 of next year, streaming giants will no longer be permitted to broadcast commercials at a higher volume than the content they accompany.
This legislation essentially extends the Federal Communications Commission's Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, originally enacted in 2012 for traditional TV and radio, to the world of streaming. While TV networks and radio stations have been bound by CALM for over a decade, services like Netflix and Disney+ were not previously regulated in this aspect, leaving viewers vulnerable to inconsistent audio experiences.
However, this new regulation has not come without debate. The Motion Picture Association, representing major industry players such as Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery, expressed opposition to the bill. They argue that many streaming platforms are already voluntarily addressing the issue by adjusting ad volumes, especially through server-side ad insertion technology. They claim that SB 576 is redundant and unnecessary.
Yet, Governor Newsom strongly defended the law upon signing it, emphasizing that Californians have clearly voiced their dislike for commercials that blast louder than the shows they watch. His remarks underscore a consumer-driven demand for a more pleasant and balanced audio experience.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Should streaming services be mandated by law to control ad volumes, or is industry self-regulation sufficient? Could this regulation impact the revenue models of streaming platforms that depend heavily on advertising? And how will this set a precedent for other states or countries grappling with similar complaints? These are debates that viewers and industry insiders alike need to weigh in on.
What do you think? Are loud commercials on streaming platforms an unavoidable nuisance that needs legal intervention, or should companies be trusted to fix this on their own? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below — the conversation is just getting started.
