TV ad breaks could become longer and more frequent, under new plans mooted by the government’s tv regulator.
Ofcom said the number of ad breaks on TV could increase and commercials may include more product placements.
1
The regulator is considering changes to the rules as traditional broadcasters try to keep pace with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
In a report to the Secretary of State on Wednesday, Ofcom said it was looking at the rules around making commercials longer.
It added “initial discussions with stakeholders” had taken place and plans to outline next steps would happen later this summer.
In the report, Ofcom said the presence of added competition had “put pressure on broadcasters, squeezing revenues”.
An Ofcom spokesperson added: “We’re scoping a range of options, but before we form any plans we’ll listen to different views and examine what TV viewers say.
“We need to strike the right balance between protecting viewers’ interests and sustaining our traditional broadcasters, which includes helping them compete with American streaming platforms.”
Traditional broadcasters have been trying to keep pace with competitors offering subscription services, such as Disney+ and Netflix.
Netflix has already entered into discussions to take on advertising partners and include commercials.
Most read in Money
The platform will have another tier of service, which will be cheaper for users.
If it follows the model set by other streaming services, the ad-supported tier will cost about half of the premium tier.
And the BBC threatened to scrap the TV licence and replace it with a subscription service in February.
As of February 2020, over 13 million households in the UK were signed up to the four most popular entertainment streaming platforms in 2019, according to Ofcom figures.
