Sponsored Streams in the UK: The ASA and CMA Rules on Labelling Ads

If you stream in English, some of your viewers may well be in the UK. When a UK brand sponsors you, or a global brand runs a UK campaign through you, the contract may ask you to follow UK advertising rules, not just the FTC's.

The UK rules cover the same ground as the US ones: tell people when something is an ad. The labels and the wording are stricter, though. The word most US streamers use, "sponsored", is one the UK regulators advise against. This page covers who sets the rules, what counts as an ad, which labels work, and what to do on stream. The US side is in the FTC disclosure post.

Two bodies, one expectation

Two UK bodies publish guidance for creators, and they overlap:

• The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) enforces the CAP Code, the UK's advertising code. CAP (the Committee of Advertising Practice) writes the code and the guidance on it.
• The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) enforces consumer protection law, alongside local Trading Standards.

The ASA's own advice article explains the split. Labelling paid content as advertising is "a requirement under consumer protection law, enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Trading Standards Services."¹ When the brand also has editorial control over the content, the ASA can act under the CAP Code too.¹

Both of them name streamers explicitly. The ASA says it "typically defines an influencer as any human, animal or virtually produced persona that is active on any online social media platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, and others."¹ The CMA's guidance opens with "Online content creators, such as bloggers, influencers, online streamers, celebrities and social media personalities".² Follower count doesn't change anything: the CMA says its guidance applies "no matter how many followers you have."²

The two bodies also wrote a joint guide, the "Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads". The ASA notes it is being updated now that the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has replaced the old consumer protection regulations, and says "The advice remains broadly correct with some changes to the legal underpinning."³ The CMA updated its own guidance for that Act in 2025.²

What counts as an ad

The test is broad. The ASA's article says that whenever a brand gives you "a payment or any other incentive (requested or unsolicited)", or you're otherwise connected to the brand, "any content featuring or referring to the brand will need to be obviously identifiable as advertising."¹

The CMA's definition of payment is just as wide: "Any form of incentive or reward – including money, commissions, discounts, leases or loans free of charge or in more favourable terms than those offered to the general public, gifts of any products – is payment."²

For a streamer, that covers:

• A paid sponsored segment or a full sponsored stream. The obvious one.
• Free products, including ones you didn't ask for. The CMA says this includes brands sending products "without asking for anything in return".² See gifted product deals.
• Affiliate links and creator codes. The ASA says that when an influencer includes an affiliate link or code, "they are acting as an advertiser".¹ The promo code post covers how those codes work.
• Your own merch or brand. The CMA says that if you own or are connected with a brand and promote it, "you must make this known and clearly label these posts as ads."²

The label: "Ad", up front

This is where the UK differs most from what US streamers are used to.

Use "Ad" or a close variant. The ASA says that "The ASA (and the CMA) prefer labels that explicitly call out the content as ‘advertising’ e.g., ‘Ad’."¹ The CMA lists "ad", "advert", "advertising" and "advertisement" as labels that work.² The hashtag is optional; the ASA says "It’s not necessary to use a ‘#’ as part of the label, provided it is prominent and clearly separate from any other content."¹

Avoid "sponsored". The ASA's advice: "Because the term “sponsored” is open to varied interpretation, we advise against using this label to refer to advertising."¹ The CMA puts #sponsored on its list of words to avoid, along with #spon, #gifted, #collab, #aff, #affiliate, "In association with", "thank you", and "just naming the brand".²

Put it first. The ASA says that "at a minimum, the ASA is likely to expect such content to include a prominent ‘ad’ label upfront (which usually means ‘at the beginning’)".¹ The CMA says that for videos, "the disclosure for ads must be given at the beginning of the ad."²

A tag, a code or your bio isn't a label. The CMA says: "It is not enough just to tag a brand in your post, use discount codes or affiliate links."² Viewers shouldn't have to "access your profile page or bio" to find out.² The ASA has ruled that saying you're a brand's ambassador in your bio "isn’t sufficient on its own".¹

Platform tools can help but may not be enough. For tools like Instagram's "Paid partnership" label, the ASA says one "may be sufficient if the label is upfront, clear, and prominent when it’s added to your content", and that if you're not sure, "you should include an additional ‘Ad’ label."¹ The CMA says the same thing: if the tool's label doesn't clearly say it's an ad, "you should include the label #Ad in a clear, upfront position."² The Twitch branded content post and YouTube paid promotion post cover each platform's toggle.

What that looks like on a stream

Neither the ASA's article nor the CMA's guidance has a section on live streams specifically. Both set the same principle, though: viewers should know it's an ad before or as soon as they engage with it. The ASA says that where content "autoplays", the fact that it's an ad "needs to be clearly stated as soon as they engage with it (i.e. right at the beginning)."¹ For YouTube, it says the video title and/or thumbnail "will need, at minimum, to include an identifier such as ‘Ad’" so it's clear before someone clicks.¹

Applied to a stream, here's what we'd suggest. These are our reading of those principles, not quotes:

• Stream title. If the whole stream is sponsored, start the title with "Ad", e.g. "Ad | Playing [Game] with [Brand]". That's the stream equivalent of the ASA's YouTube title point.
• Spoken disclosure at the start of the segment. "This segment is an ad for [Brand]." Say it when the read starts, not at the end.
• An on-screen "Ad" label during the segment. Viewers who join mid-stream won't hear the opening line, and a persistent overlay covers them.
• Repeat it. UK guidance doesn't give a repeat interval. The FTC suggests repeating disclosures periodically on live streams, and doing that also keeps you within the UK's "as soon as they engage" principle for late joiners.
• VODs, clips and Shorts keep the label. A clip cut from the sponsored segment is still an ad and needs its own label. See cutting a sponsored stream into Shorts.
• Codes in chat or panels. A !code command is fine, but the code isn't the disclosure. The ASA notes its research found "posts that included things like discount codes were not recognised as ads by most participants."¹

What changes if you're a US streamer

Most of what you already do for the FTC carries over. The differences that come up most:

	FTC (US)	ASA / CMA (UK)
"Sponsored" as the label	Listed as fine; see the FTC post	Advised against; use "Ad"
Where it goes	Clear and conspicuous, repeated on live streams	Up front, at the beginning
Platform toggle alone	Not a substitute for your own disclosure	May be enough if clear; add "Ad" if unsure

If you only change one habit for UK campaigns, change the word: "Ad" or "Advert" instead of "sponsored". A spoken "This is an ad for [Brand]" plus an "Ad" title and overlay satisfies the UK wording, and it's also a clear disclosure in the US. One label that works in both places is simpler than switching per campaign.

Whether UK law applies to you as a US-based creator depends on your situation, and this page can't answer that for you. Two practical points:

• The contract may decide it for you. A UK brand or agency may write ASA/CMA compliance into the deliverables, and when the ASA finds an influencer ad breaches the code, both the influencer and the brand are named in the ruling.¹ The ASA says "Both brands and influencers are responsible for ensuring that ads are obviously identifiable".¹ Read the disclosure section of the contract and the brief before you agree the label.
• Some products have extra rules. The ASA notes that "ads for particular product types (e.g. Foods, Alcohol, Gambling) must comply with very specific rules".¹ If a betting, casino or alcohol brand approaches you about UK viewers, the label is only the start, and it's worth checking the specific rules (and the red flags) before you say yes.

Younger audiences

If your audience skews young, the ASA sets a higher bar. It says "any influencer marketing content that is directed at under-12s is likely to need to do more than simply include an ‘ad’ label upfront."¹ If a sponsor's product is aimed at children, ask what disclosure they expect before agreeing the format.

If something goes wrong

The CMA says that if your content misleads consumers, "You could face enforcement action from the CMA, local authority Trading Standards Services, or the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland".² When the ASA finds that an influencer ad breaches the CAP Code, its ruling names both the influencer and the brand.¹

If you realise a sponsored stream went out without a clear label, fix what you can: add "Ad" to the VOD title, pin a disclosure, re-label any clips, and tell the brand. Then note the label you've agreed in the deal record so the next stream gets it right.

FAQ

Do UK ad rules apply to Twitch streamers?
The ASA's definition of an influencer names Twitch, and the CMA's guidance names online streamers. If you've been paid or given anything to feature a brand, UK guidance expects that content to be clearly labelled as an ad. Whether UK law applies to a creator based outside the UK depends on the situation; this page isn't legal advice.

Is "sponsored" an acceptable label in the UK?
The ASA advises against it because the term is open to varied interpretation, and the CMA lists #sponsored among the words to avoid. Use "Ad", "Advert" or "Advertising" instead.

Where should the ad label go on a sponsored stream?
UK guidance expects the label up front, so viewers know it's an ad as soon as they engage. On a stream that means the title (if the whole stream is sponsored), a spoken disclosure at the start of the segment, and an on-screen "Ad" label for viewers who join partway through.

Is a discount code or a brand tag enough to show it's an ad?
No. The CMA says it isn't enough just to tag a brand or use discount codes or affiliate links, and the ASA's research found posts with discount codes weren't recognised as ads by most people.

Does a gifted product count as an ad in the UK?
Yes, if you post about it. The CMA treats gifts as payment, including products sent without asking for anything in return, and expects that content to be labelled as an ad.