Advertising breaks on British television channels could get longer and more frequent as Ofcom chooses to review broadcasting rules across the industry.
According to the BBC, the frequency and length of ads are due to be reassessed in light of changing viewing habits and the increase of streaming services.
Ofcom’s current rules state that for ITV and Channel 5, the “total amount of advertising in any one day must not exceed an average of seven minutes per hour of broadcasting”.
The two channels can feature up to eight minutes an hour of ad breaks between the prime times of 18:00-23:00 and 07:00-09:00.
However, due to the rise of subscription streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, which do not advertise for most of their subscribers, Ofcom is considering whether to allow UK channels to increase the frequency of their ad breaks.
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Discussing the review with the BBC, an Ofcom spokesman said the regulator needed “to strike the right balance between protecting viewers’ interests and sustaining our traditional broadcasters”.
“We are also looking at the rules that set the frequency and length of advertising on broadcast TV. These rules are complex, with limits in place for public service broadcasters that are stricter than the rules set for commercial broadcasters. We have had initial discussions with stakeholders, and we expect to be able to outline our next steps later this summer.”
Prior Ofcom research has found that many audiences “often prefer to record content as a series so that they can skip the ads”. Generation Z are also known to regularly skip ads.
In a statement to the BBC, an Ofcom spokesman said: “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.”
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