That jarring moment when a quiet scene is shattered by a blaring commercial may soon be a thing of the past for Californians. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Monday that forces streaming services to keep ad volume in line with the shows you're actually trying to watch, starting July 1, 2026.
Don't wake the baby: The law has a surprisingly relatable origin story. It was inspired after State Senator Tom Umberg heard that his legislative director’s newborn daughter, Samantha, was repeatedly being woken up by noisy streaming ads. “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,” said Senator Umberg.
Playing catch-up: The new state law essentially modernizes the federal CALM Act from 2010, extending rules that already govern broadcast and cable TV to the streaming era. Industry groups like The Motion Picture Association initially opposed the bill over technical challenges, but the opposition was later dropped, and the bill passed unanimously.
The California effect: California's move will likely send ripples across the industry, pressuring platforms to adopt the changes nationwide. It’s a timely correction, as nearly every major player—from Disney+ to Netflix and Max—pushes consumers toward cheaper, ad-supported plans, bringing the classic TV annoyance of audio spikes back into millions of living rooms.
California is forcing the industry’s hand, but the real test will be whether streaming giants apply this common-sense fix to all their subscribers nationwide, not just those in the Golden State.
Before the law passed, industry lobbyists argued it was "unnecessary" because streaming services were already working to fix the problem voluntarily. For those interested in the legal nitty-gritty, the full text of the new law is available to read on the California Legislature's website.
