California mandates volume control for streaming service advertisements

California has established the first state-level regulations requiring video streaming services to control commercial advertisement volume. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 576 into law on October 6, 2025, extending federal television broadcast standards to streaming platforms that had previously operated outside commercial audio regulations.

The legislation prohibits video streaming services from transmitting commercial advertisements at volumes exceeding the video content they accompany. According to the bill text, the requirement takes effect July 1, 2026, applying specifically to streaming services serving California consumers. The standards mirror regulations developed by the Federal Communications Commission under the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, known as the CALM Act, which Congress passed in 2010.

Senator Thomas Umberg authored the legislation following observations about advertisement volume disrupting households. "This bill was inspired by baby Samantha and every exhausted parent who's finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work," Umberg stated in the October 6 announcement. The senator characterized the measure as bringing "much-needed peace and quiet to California households by making sure streaming ads aren't louder than the shows we actually want to watch."

The federal CALM Act established technical requirements for traditional television broadcast stations, cable operators, and multichannel video programming distributors starting in 2012. Those regulations mandate commercials maintain the same average volume as accompanying programs, measured through specific algorithms developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The federal framework, however, excludes internet-based video delivery services, creating a regulatory gap that persisted as streaming platforms gained market share.

California's implementation defines video streaming services as entities making video programming or video content available directly to consumers through internet protocol distribution methods. The definition specifically excludes television broadcast stations, cable operators, multichannel video programming distributors, and services without commercial advertisements. Streaming platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video have introduced advertising-supported subscription tiers throughout recent years, expanding commercial inventory across platforms that initially operated on subscription-only models.

The legislation adds Chapter 27.3 to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, establishing specific obligations for streaming services operating in California's market. Services must align audio transmission with FCC regulations governing average commercial volume relative to program content. The bill text references Public Law 111-311, the federal statute requiring FCC regulation development for broadcast and cable television advertisement loudness.

Technical compliance presents implementation challenges for streaming platforms operating global distribution networks. Unlike traditional broadcast systems with centralized transmission facilities, streaming services deliver content through distributed server networks spanning multiple jurisdictions. Advertisement insertion occurs through dynamic systems selecting commercials based on viewer location, subscription tier, and content targeting parameters. These programmatic systems operate at milliseconds per decision, processing millions of advertisement placements daily across diverse content libraries.

The streaming advertising sector has experienced substantial growth throughout 2025, with connected television spending projected to reach $33.35 billion. Netflix announced expectations for advertising revenue to roughly double during 2025 while operating proprietary advertising infrastructure. The platform completed rollout of its advertising technology stack across all markets where advertisement-supported streaming operates, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan.

Governor Newsom emphasized consumer feedback driving the legislative action. "We heard Californians loud and clear, and what's clear is that they don't want commercials at a volume any louder than the level at which they were previously enjoying a program," the governor stated. The signing represents one component of broader advertising regulation efforts addressing digital platform operations previously outside traditional broadcast oversight.

The legislation explicitly states it does not create private right of action, meaning individual consumers cannot file lawsuits against streaming services for volume violations. Enforcement mechanisms remain undefined in the bill text, with implementation details likely emerging through regulatory guidance before the July 2026 effective date. The Business and Professions Code typically grants enforcement authority to the California Attorney General or district attorneys for consumer protection violations.

Industry observers note the measure's timing coincides with regulatory developments affecting streaming advertising operations across multiple jurisdictions. European Union transparency requirements for political advertising prompted Meta and Google to withdraw from political advertisement categories, citing compliance complexity. Privacy regulations in eight U.S. states now require automated processing of browser-based opt-out signals, affecting advertising personalization capabilities.

California's approach differs from federal CALM Act implementation through its focus on consumer experience rather than technical standardization. The federal regulations specify measurement methodologies, loudness monitoring requirements, and compliance verification procedures developed through multi-year FCC rulemaking processes. California's statute references federal standards without establishing state-specific measurement protocols, potentially requiring streaming services to adopt existing broadcast television compliance frameworks.

The marketing community faces implications as streaming platforms develop sophisticated advertising technologies competing with traditional television for brand budgets. Pause advertisements appearing when viewers interrupt content represent one format gaining adoption across major platforms including DIRECTV, Fubo, and Dish Media. These contextual advertising approaches activate during viewer-initiated breaks rather than forced interruptions, creating engagement opportunities distinct from traditional commercial pods.

Advertisement volume control affects viewer experience across multiple streaming scenarios. Live sports broadcasts, where advertisement breaks occur during gameplay pauses, present different audio dynamics than on-demand entertainment programming. Documentary content often features varying audio levels across scenes, creating baseline measurement challenges for determining appropriate commercial volume. Background music, dialogue intensity, and action sequences all influence perceived loudness beyond simple decibel measurements.

Technical standards organizations including the Advanced Television Systems Committee and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers have developed loudness measurement specifications addressing these complexities. The ATSC A/85 standard, referenced in FCC regulations, establishes algorithms for measuring program audio levels over time rather than instantaneous volume peaks. These measurements account for human perception of loudness, which differs from raw acoustic energy levels.

Streaming services must implement loudness monitoring across content libraries containing thousands of titles with varying audio characteristics. Automated systems analyze program audio to establish baseline loudness profiles, then match commercial audio to those baselines. Manual verification processes check samples of advertisement placements to ensure system accuracy across different content genres and advertisement formats.

The legislation arrives as California advances multiple technology sector regulations addressing consumer protection, privacy, and competition concerns. Privacy legislation requiring universal opt-out mechanisms for data collection has generated opposition from major advertising platforms while receiving support from consumer advocacy groups. The state's approach to technology regulation often establishes precedents adopted by other jurisdictions, making California requirements particularly significant for companies operating national or global services.

Advertisement volume represents one dimension of streaming user experience alongside factors including advertisement frequency, duration, and targeting relevance. Viewer satisfaction surveys consistently identify excessive advertisement interruptions and inappropriate content matching as primary complaints about advertisement-supported streaming. Volume complaints specifically concern sudden audio increases disrupting household activities, particularly late-night viewing or situations requiring reduced audio levels.

Streaming platforms have developed multiple advertisement models balancing revenue generation with viewer experience. Limited advertisement breaks offering lower subscription prices compete with advertisement-free premium tiers and free advertisement-supported streaming television channels. Each model presents different advertisement load characteristics affecting viewer tolerance for commercial interruptions.

The California implementation timeline provides streaming services eight months to develop compliance systems before the July 1, 2026 enforcement date. Industry participants will need to establish loudness measurement capabilities, implement dynamic audio normalization across content libraries, and verify advertisement delivery systems maintain volume consistency. Multi-state streaming operations must determine whether to implement California requirements nationally or maintain separate compliance systems for California viewers.

Consumer electronics manufacturers including television makers and streaming device producers have implemented their own loudness normalization features attempting to address volume variation between programs and advertisements. These device-level solutions operate independently of content provider controls, potentially creating interaction effects with platform-level volume management systems. Viewers may experience different results depending on device settings, platform implementations, and content characteristics.

The legislation reflects broader consumer expectations for streaming services to match or exceed traditional television standards as digital platforms become primary video consumption methods. Measurement approaches for streaming advertising continue evolving beyond impression counts to duration-based metrics recognizing time as a critical value component. Duration measurement acknowledges that 30-second advertisement opportunities provide significantly more advertiser value than six-second placements, even though both count as single impressions.

Governor Newsom's approval of SB 576 adds California to a limited group of jurisdictions establishing state-level streaming platform obligations. The legislation demonstrates state willingness to extend consumer protection frameworks to digital services operating through internet delivery rather than traditional broadcast or cable infrastructure. Whether other states adopt similar requirements or federal action extends CALM Act provisions to streaming services remains uncertain.

Senator Umberg emphasized the consumer-focused motivation underlying the legislation throughout the development process. The measure passed California's legislature with bipartisan support, indicating widespread recognition of advertisement volume as a consumer concern transcending political divisions. Implementation success will depend on streaming platforms' technical capabilities, enforcement mechanisms developed by state authorities, and consumer awareness of the new protections.

The streaming industry's rapid technological advancement and format innovation creates ongoing challenges for regulatory frameworks designed for earlier distribution methods. Real-time bidding systems, dynamic advertisement insertion, personalized content recommendations, and interactive advertising formats all represent capabilities absent from traditional television when Congress enacted the CALM Act. California's approach of referencing federal standards provides flexibility as technology continues developing while establishing clear consumer protection expectations.

Timeline

• December 2010: Congress passes Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act for broadcast television
• 2012: FCC regulations implementing CALM Act take effect for traditional television
• October 6, 2025: Governor Newsom signs SB 576 extending volume controls to streaming
• July 1, 2026: California streaming advertisement volume requirements take effect
• July 2025: Streaming platforms expand advertising technology capabilities
• August 2025: Pause advertisements gain adoption across major streaming services
• September 2025: Duration-based measurement approaches enhance streaming ad valuation

Summary

Who: California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Thomas Umberg, and video streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video serving California consumers.

What: Senate Bill 576 prohibits video streaming services from transmitting commercial advertisements louder than accompanying video content, extending federal CALM Act standards to streaming platforms.

When: Governor Newsom signed the legislation on October 6, 2025, with requirements taking effect July 1, 2026, for services operating in California.

Where: The regulation applies to video streaming services serving consumers in California, establishing the first state-level commercial volume requirements for internet-delivered video platforms.

Why: The legislation addresses consumer complaints about disruptive advertisement volume on streaming platforms, particularly scenarios where sudden volume increases disturb households, building on federal broadcast television standards established in 2010.