Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has formally approved Ofcom’s recommendations for the streaming devices and Smart TV platforms which must “prominently” display catch-up apps from the UK’s major broadcasters.
New rules introduced by the 2024’s Media Act require Ofcom to identify both the most commonly used streaming devices and Smart TV platforms (known as television selection services or ‘TSS’) and the apps (known as ‘designated internet programme services’ or DIPS) which are to benefit from the prominence requirement.
The intention behind the rules is to ensure that content from Public Service Broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C – is easy for audiences to find.
Under Ofcom’s criteria, the rules apply to platforms which have at least 700,000 users within the UK. These are:
- Amazon Fire TV OS 6, 7 and 8
- Android TV 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14
- Apple TV OS 18
- Freely
- Google TV 10, 11, 12 and 14
- LG WebOS 22, 23, 24 and 25
- Roku OS 14
- Samsung Smart Hub (Tizen) 7, 8 and 9
- Sky Entertainment OS (Sky Glass and Sky Stream)
- Sky Q
- VIDAA OS U6, 7, 8 and 9
- Virgin Media Horizon
- Virgin Media TiVo on V6 ITE
- YouView on EE TV devices made by Sagemcom and YouView on Sony TVs
Designation will automatically apply to future versions of each of the above platforms.
The Prominence Regime
Ofcom recently consulted on how the prominence regime will work in practice and a final statement is pending once it has fully assessed responses from platforms, broadcasters, viewers and other stakeholders.
Both device makers and broadcasters have expressed concerns with various aspects of the draft rules, with manufacturers arguing the regulator has exceeded Parliament’s intent and broadcasters complaining the regime offers them insufficient protection.
Some broadcasters are also unhappy that the regulator proposes allowing users to rearrange apps into their preferred order and have called for device makers to be banned from advising them of this right.
The Media Act follows years of intense lobbying by the broadcasters who appear to see regulation, rather than improving the range and quality of their content and the usability of their apps, as the best way of responding to competition from the likes of Netflix and Disney+.
The BBC’s iPlayer is the only PSB service which offers shows in Ultra High Definition, however the broadcaster withholds this from various devices including Apple TV set top boxes.
In addition, catch-up content in the Channel 5 app is still limited to Standard Definition on multiple platforms, while only Channel 4’s app offers surround sound.
Such limitations stand in stark contrast to the Full HD and 4K images plus HDR, Dolby Vision, surround sound and Dolby Atmos offered by the increasingly popular subscription apps.