California Enforces New Law to Reduce Loud Streaming TV Advertisements Starting July 1

Streaming advertisements could become noticeably quieter this week as a new California law aimed at limiting excessive ad volume officially takes effect.

Beginning Wednesday, July 1, streaming platforms operating in California are prohibited from playing advertisements that are louder than the video content they accompany. Similar regulations have already existed for years in the broadcast and cable television industry, where commercial volume is subject to comparable restrictions.

According to Ars Technica, streaming companies have not yet provided detailed information about the specific measures they will take to comply with the new requirements. Although the legislation currently applies only within California, any technical changes introduced to meet the standard could ultimately be implemented across a wider range of markets, particularly as Illinois is expected to introduce similar legislation next year.

When the bill was approved in 2025, its sponsor, California State Senator Thomas Umberg, said a common household frustration inspired the proposal.

He explained that the legislation was motivated by “every exhausted parent who’s finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work.”

The proposal faced opposition from several entertainment industry organisations, including the Motion Picture Association of America and the Streaming Innovation Alliance. Those groups argued that streaming providers were already taking steps to address differences in advertisement volume and pointed out that delivering consistent audio levels across a wide variety of devices—including televisions, tablets, smartphones, and other streaming hardware—presents significant technical challenges.