Download our workshop summary “Regulating audiovisual commercial communications across AVMS, VSPs and influencers”

The European Audiovisual Observatory has published the summary of its 2025 legal workshop, “Regulating audiovisual commercial communications across AVMS, VSPs and influencers”. Held in Strasbourg at the European Youth Centre, the event brought together regulators, industry players, academics and EU policymakers to examine the existing advertising rules and how they may evolve in a rapidly transforming media ecosystem.

At a pivotal moment, with the review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) underway and potential revision in 2026, the workshop summary provides a timely overview of market developments, regulatory asymmetries and emerging policy choices impacting the future of audiovisual commercial communications (ACCs) in Europe.

The discussions focused on three key themes linked to the future of ACCs:

• Advertising Market Transformation

The participants examined the profound shifts in the advertising landscape. Traditional broadcasters, once heavily reliant on advertising revenue, now compete with global video-sharing platforms, subscription and ad-supported video-on-demand services,  and influencers.

As online advertising continues to dominate overall ad spend, linear television’s share has steadily declined.

In such an interconnected ecosystem, the importance of terminology was highlighted: referring to “TV advertising”, “online advertising” or “video advertising” significantly influences perceptions of competition and market concentration.

• EU Legal & Regulatory Framework

The second session explored the legal architecture governing ACCs in the EU.

Participants reviewed how the AVMSD applies differently to linear broadcasters, on-demand services and video-sharing platforms.

The growing interaction between the AVMSD and horizontal digital legislation was also analysed, including the Digital Services Act Package.

Special attention was given to the European Commission’s ongoing review of the AVMSD, assessed through the five Better Regulation criteria:
✔ Effectiveness ✔ Efficiency ✔ Relevance ✔ Coherence ✔ EU Added Value.

• Influencer Advertising

The third discussion round dealt with influencer advertising, a fast-growing and increasingly influential segment of the advertising ecosystem.

Drawing on the European Audiovisual Observatory’s 2025 comparative study, the discussions stressed that influencers may fall within the scope of audiovisual media service regulation when relevant criteria are met, even if not explicitly defined in the AVMSD.

World Café: Forward-Looking Proposals

During the interactive “World Café” session, participants worked in groups to develop practical, forward-looking proposals aimed at fostering a fair and proportionate regulatory environment.

Key areas of discussion included:

• Harmonisation 
• Regulatory gaps 
• Level playing field
• Enforcement

The discussions held at this workshop brought together a wide range of perspectives on ACCs at a moment when both market developments and the forthcoming review of the AVMSD call for renewed analytical clarity.

By combining market data, legal analysis and stakeholder perspectives, our workshop summary provides a comprehensive and structured overview of the current state of play. It offers policymakers, regulators and industry stakeholders a solid evidence base for the discussions ahead.