Imagine settling in for a cozy evening of streaming, only to be jolted awake by an ear-splitting commercial. California Governor Gavin Newsom feels your pain and just signed a groundbreaking bill targeting those obnoxiously loud streaming advertisements.

Senate Bill 576 is set to make streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu play by the same volume rules as traditional television broadcasters. The legislation, which passed unanimously in the California Legislature, aims to prevent ads from blasting at volumes significantly higher than the shows viewers are watching.

The bill’s inspiration comes from a relatable parental nightmare. Democratic Senator Tom Umberg crafted the legislation after hearing how a loud advertisement disrupted his legislative director’s infant daughter’s sleep. “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 explained.

While the entertainment industry, including the Motion Picture Association of America, initially opposed the measure, arguing that streaming services lack the same ad volume control as traditional broadcasters, the bill sailed through the legislative process without a single dissenting vote.

The new law essentially extends the principles of the 2010 Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which was originally designed for television and cable broadcasts. With streaming services now dominating entertainment consumption, this California legislation represents a progressive step toward viewer comfort.

Governor Newsom didn’t mince words about the bill’s purpose, stating, “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”.

As streaming platforms continue to evolve, this bill signals a growing recognition of viewer experience and consumer rights. For Californians tired of being sonically ambushed during their favorite shows, relief is on the way.