From July 1, 2026, streaming platforms that broadcast to viewers in California will be legally prohibited from running commercial adverts at higher volumes than the shows or movies they accompany. This new legislative action aims to address a longstanding annoyance familiar to anyone who has ever been jolted by a sudden, booming ad during their favourite TV show or online film night.
Interestingly, the campaign for this law began with a relatable scenario: a legislative staffer reportedly complained that a loud commercial woke up their sleeping baby. That simple spark has since grown into a law expected to affect not just families in California but millions tuning in around the globe through international streaming services.
For most viewers—whether streaming from Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, or Los Angeles—this means less risk of being startled by ear-piercing ads. For media companies, advertising partners, and streaming platforms, the countdown is on: they must upgrade their systems to ensure compliance, which brings new technical and business challenges.
What Does the New Law Demand?
Known officially as Senate Bill 576 (SB 576), the amendment to California’s Business and Professions Code mandates that from July 2026, all video streaming companies serving California residents must not transmit ads with audio levels higher than the accompanying video content. While this regulation is specific to California, global streaming giants will likely implement these standards across the board, affecting viewers and advertisers from Nigeria to Ghana and beyond.
Compliance will not be a guessing game—the bill specifically requires that advertisers and streaming platforms adhere to the same technical standards set out by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the United States’ Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act. That means loudness controls, peak audio limits, and measurement protocols that have been part of traditional broadcast and cable TV for more than a decade must now be incorporated into streaming services.
Importantly, the law clarifies that individuals cannot sue streaming providers directly under this legislation (there’s no “private right of action”). Instead, enforcement falls to state agencies, which means regulators—rather than viewers—will handle complaints and impose penalties for breaches.
For those in the streaming and ad tech sectors, compliance could take several forms, each presenting unique hurdles and opportunities:
- Pre-normalised adverts: Advert creative producers and agencies can deliver ads pre-mastered to meet CALM Act requirements. This option is straightforward but requires a shift in how small and large studios prepare audio, potentially increasing production costs for smaller content creators.
- Server-side normalisation at insertion: Streaming platforms might implement real-time audio processing, ensuring every ad’s loudness matches the surrounding content. This is complex and demands high-powered servers, especially for platforms receiving ad content from different sources.
- Use of metadata and signalling: By embedding loudness data within ad files, systems downstream—like media players or smart TVs—can automatically adjust volumes. However, not all devices or digital rights management systems process these tags reliably, according to experts in digital media delivery.
These technical strategies each come with potential drawbacks. For example, server-side processing may require expensive upgrades, while unreliable metadata recognition could leave some devices out of compliance. Local technology firms in Nigeria and Ghana—where streaming services like Netflix, Showmax, and others are becoming ever more popular—may soon face similar challenges, especially as global standards influence regional content delivery approaches.
Industry and Consumer Reactions: Welcome Relief or Regulatory Burden?
According to numerous reports from U.S. media and global tech outlets, reactions to the new law are mixed. Consumer advocacy groups, family associations, and many parents—both in the West and globally—applaud the rule as a practical step that will immediately improve the home streaming experience. No more sudden volume increases startling sleeping children or disrupting quiet nights.
On the other side of the debate, several streaming industry representatives and groups—such as the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and technology coalitions—express concerns about the practicality of the law. Many smaller ad-supported services that piece together adverts from multiple providers say they may face significant costs integrating these new requirements. Ad sellers and streaming platforms have argued publicly that many already have some form of loudness control, and that new rules could duplicate existing efforts, complicating technical rollouts and increasing expenses.
Trade press suggests the bill passed with bipartisan political support in Sacramento, the state capital, and that negotiation on key points—such as excluding the right for individuals to sue—helped secure broad consensus. Reflecting global trends, lawmakers note that engaging with technology providers to clarify exactly how compliance is to be measured is likely to be an ongoing process.
This regulatory evolution offers lessons for the Nigerian and broader African context. As digital adoption accelerates and more consumers move to streaming—whether catching Nollywood premieres on digital services or following European leagues on their mobile devices—the push for a user-friendly, consistent audio experience is likely to gain local traction. Industry players may benefit from proactively adopting global best practices, potentially using these new technical standards to differentiate local offerings or protect viewers from unwanted disruptions.
According to Lagos-based broadcast engineer Ifeanyi Okeke, “We’ve seen similar complaints from Nigerian viewers about inconsistent ad volumes, especially during live streams of football and movies. Regulators and local platforms have a chance to learn from the California approach, especially as global streamers expand their African footprint.”
Globally, countries such as the United Kingdom and members of the European Union have implemented their own rules on TV loudness, but most African regulators have not yet addressed streaming ad volume at a national level. As platforms like Showmax, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video continue to invest on the continent, locally relevant regulatory benchmarks may follow—especially as customer complaints and user experience become more central to business strategy.
For now, the California streaming ad law serves as a bellwether, signaling not only a technical upgrade but also a new era in customer protection. Whether you’re streaming a block-buster Nollywood film in Abuja or catching up on U.S. series from Accra, the days of being startled by sudden, blaring commercials may soon be history. But as the streaming world watches how this law is enforced and the technical wrinkles are worked out, both local and international companies will need to stay vigilant and adaptable.
What do you think—should Nigerian regulators introduce similar laws to protect local viewers from loud streaming adverts? Are streaming platforms already doing enough to optimise your viewing experience? Share your opinions in the comments and let us know your thoughts!
