The Communications Act 2003 (Commencement No. 6) and Media Act 2024 (Commencement No. 4 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

These Regulations bring into force on 1 January 2027 provisions in the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21) (“ the 2003 Act ”) and the Media Act 2024 (c. 15) (“ the 2024 Act ”). This is the sixth commencement instrument made under the 2003 Act, and the fourth set of commencement regulations made under the 2024 Act. The provisions being commenced by this instrument primarily concern listed events (for the meaning of “listed event” see section 105(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1996 (c. 55) (“ the 1996 Act ”)).

Regulation 2 brings into force the remaining parts of section 299 of the 2003 Act, which amend section 97 of the 1996 Act to provide for the existing concept of “listed events” to be divided into two categories, called “Group A” and “Group B”.

Regulation 3 brings into force provisions in Part 1 of the 2024 Act which update the legislative framework for the listed events regime in Part 4 of the 1996 Act, so far as those provisions have not already been brought into force by the Media Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2024 ( S.I. 2024/858 ).

Regulation 4 makes saving provision in connection with contracts granting rights to show live coverage of listed events entered into before 1 January 2027. This is the date on which section 22 of the 2024 Act and the code drawn up by OFCOM in accordance with subsection (4) of section 25 of the 2024 Act (“ the new code ”) will take effect.

The saving provision provides that sections 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103 and 105 of the 1996 Act, as they had effect immediately before 1 January 2027, will continue to have effect in relation to contracts entered into before 1 January 2027. The saving provision also provides that the old section 104 code for the listed events regime, as defined in section 25(7) of the 2024 Act, will continue to have effect in relation to the exercise of any rights acquired under contracts entered into before 1 January 2027, including applications for consent made under section 101(1) of the 1996 Act, as if the new code had not come into force.

An impact assessment has not been published for these Regulations, as they have no impact on the cost to business, the public or voluntary sectors independent of the provisions these Regulations bring into force. A full impact assessment has been published in relation to the 2024 Act and copies can be obtained from the UK Parliament website at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3505/publications or from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ, United Kingdom.