California enforces volume limits on streaming service commercials

California has passed a new law requiring streaming services to ensure that the volume of commercial advertisements does not exceed that of the primary video content. This legislation extends the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act of 2010, which previously applied only to broadcast and cable TV, to streaming platforms. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, responds to widespread complaints from viewers about overly loud ads disrupting their viewing experience. Streaming services headquartered in California, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video, will now need to comply starting July 1, 2026. The bill aims to protect viewers, particularly parents of young children, from disruptive ad volume. State Senator Thomas Umberg highlighted that the law was inspired by the difficulties faced by parents trying to put infants to sleep, only to have streaming ads wake them. Initially, industry groups like the Motion Picture Association and the Streaming Innovation Alliance opposed the bill, citing technical challenges in controlling ad volume across different devices. However, after amendments limiting private lawsuits against streaming platforms, these groups remained neutral. The new regulation reflects California’s effort to ensure a consistent and comfortable audio experience for viewers across both traditional and streaming media.