California cracks down on loud streaming ads under new state law

California viewers fed up with blaring streaming ads may soon get some relief.

Starting this Wednesday, July 1, streaming platforms serving California consumers will be barred from running commercials at a higher volume than the shows, movies or other video content they interrupt.

The bill, SB 576, was signed into law last October by Gov. Gavin Newsom and extends a long-running television rule to the streaming era.

Federal law already requires commercials on broadcast and cable television to match the average volume of the programming they accompany under the 2010 Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act.

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Newsom’s office referred FOX Business to the governor’s October 2025 release announcing the signing of the bill.

"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," Newsom said at the time. 

"By signing SB 576, California is dialing down this inconvenience across streaming platforms, which had previously not been subject to commercial volume regulations passed by Congress in 2010."

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The bill was authored by Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg, who said the measure grew out of a frustration familiar to many households as streaming ads suddenly blare over shows and wake sleeping children.

"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," Umberg said.

"SB 576 brings some much-needed peace and quiet to California households by making sure streaming ads aren’t louder than the shows we actually want to watch."

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The move comes as streaming platforms increasingly lean on ad-supported subscription plans to attract viewers while boosting advertising revenue.

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Groups including the Motion Picture Association and Streaming Innovation Alliance opposed the bill, arguing many platforms were already working on ways to normalize ad volume, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Motion Picture Association and Streaming Innovation Alliance could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.