Television is by far the most popular form of media worldwide. Today, we can watch our favourite programmes not just on TV, but also online. In 2022, 72 % of Europeans watched internet-streamed TV or videos. Were you one of them?

That TV is part of millions of EU citizens' daily routine, entertaining us, informing us and shaping our opinions, explains why we need specific EU rules covering media services accessible on TV, the internet, cable and mobile devices.

Are you a sports fan who never misses a match? Then you will be happy to learn that events of major importance for society – such as the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup – cannot be broadcast on an exclusive basis by pay-per-view channels, as this would prevent many people from following them.

To avoid constantly interrupting your favourite programme with publicity, advertisements may not take up more than 12 minutes of any one hour. Advertisements must be easily recognisable as such by auditory and visual means, and are not permitted for prescription medication and tobacco products. Sponsorship is allowed in TV programmes – except for tobacco companies and during news programmes – but must be clearly identified. Strict restrictions apply to advertising alcoholic drinks.

Finally, EU countries must ensure that audiovisual media do not spread incitement to hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality, and that they can be used by vision- and hearing-impaired people and the elderly. This is usually done through captioning, audio description, sign language or easily accessible menu navigation.