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

S.I. 2026/715 · Made 30 June 2026

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

BROADCASTING

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Made 30th June 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 411(2) of the Communications Act 2003f1 and sections 25(6) and 55(3) and (5) of the Media Act 2024f2.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2003 c. 21.

f2

2024 c. 15.

Contents

  1. 1Citation and interpretation
  2. 2Provisions of the Communications Act 2003 coming into force on 1 January 2027
  3. 3Provisions of the 2024 Act coming into force on 1 January 2027
  4. 4Saving provision
  5. Signature
  6. Explanatory note

1Citation and interpretation

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Communications Act 2003 (Commencement No. 6) and Media Act 2024 (Commencement No. 4 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026.

(2)

In these Regulations—

  • “the 1996 Act” means the Broadcasting Act 1996f1;

  • “the 2024 Act” means the Media Act 2024.

2Provisions of the Communications Act 2003 coming into force on 1 January 2027

Section 299 of the Communications Act 2003 (categorisation of listed events) comes into force on 1 January 2027, so far as not already in force.

3Provisions of the 2024 Act coming into force on 1 January 2027

The following provisions of the 2024 Act come into force on 1 January 2027—

(a)

section 20 (categories of relevant service), so far as not already in force;

(b)

section 21 (contracts relating to coverage of listed events), so far as not already in force;

(c)

section 22 (restriction on showing live coverage of listed events), so far as not already in force;

(d)

section 25 (sections 20 to 24: further provision), so far as not already in force;

(e)

Schedule 2 (Part 1: further amendments), so far as not already in force.

4Saving provision

(1)

Sections 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103 and 105 of the 1996 Act (sporting and other events of national interest) continue to have effect in relation to a contract entered into before 1 January 2027 and the exercise of rights acquired under such a contract as if the provisions listed in regulation 3 had not been brought into force by these Regulations.

(2)

The old section 104 codef1 continues to have effect in relation to a contract entered into before 1 January 2027 and the exercise of rights acquired under such a contract as if the new code drawn up in accordance with section 25(4) of the 2024 Act had not come into force.

Signature

Ian Murray

Minister of State

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

30th June 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

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.