California bans noisy TV Commercials on streaming services

California Cracks Down on Noisy Streaming Ads

In a landmark move aimed at improving the digital viewing experience, California has officially enacted legislation banning excessively loud commercials on streaming platforms. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 576 into law on October 6, 2025, marking a significant expansion of audio regulation in the entertainment industry.

The law mandates that advertisements on platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, and others must not exceed the volume of the content they accompany. This regulation will take effect on July 1, 2026.

The new law is modeled after the federal Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which was passed in 2010 to regulate the volume of commercials on traditional broadcast and cable television. However, the CALM Act did not extend to streaming services, leaving a regulatory gap that California has now filled. Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of this measure, stating, “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”.

Senator Tom Umberg, who authored the bill, was inspired by a personal anecdote from his legislative director, Zach Keller. Keller had complained that loud streaming ads were waking his newborn daughter, Samantha. Umberg noted, “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”.

The legislation faced initial resistance from major entertainment industry groups, including the Motion Picture Association and the Streaming Innovators Alliance. These organizations argued that streaming ads are sourced from various providers and are difficult to regulate uniformly.

They also claimed that many platforms were already working to address the issue voluntarily.

However, opposition waned after the bill was amended to shield streaming services from private lawsuits, placing enforcement solely in the hands of the California Attorney General’s office.

The passage of SB 576 was met with bipartisan support in the California Legislature, reflecting widespread public frustration with sudden spikes in volume during streaming sessions. Viewers have long complained about the jarring transition from quiet programming to loud advertisements, describing the experience as disruptive and irritating.

With California’s outsized influence in the entertainment industry, experts suggest that this law could set a de facto national standard. Streaming platforms may be compelled to adopt similar volume controls across the United States to maintain consistency and avoid regional compliance issues.

As the July 2026 implementation date approaches, streaming services will need to adjust their audio engineering practices to ensure compliance. For millions of viewers, especially families with young children, the new law promises a quieter, more seamless streaming experience.