ITV has announced that subtitling will become compulsory across all ads to run on its linear and streaming platforms from January 2027, following the introduction of a similar mandate by Channel 4 earlier this year.
The move is the latest in a series of milestones aimed at making broadcast content more accessible to all. From the introduction of experimental closed captioning in the 1980s, through to the first subtitling quotas in the 1990s and the Subtitle It! campaign of the 2010s that successfully fought for streaming services to face similar quotas to linear television, the road to accessibility has been hard fought. Today’s progress has only been achieved at the cost of millions being unable to enjoy the same content while rules and regulations developed.
Yet, for all the recent momentum towards making broadcast content accessible to those in the d/Deaf and hard of hearing communities, progress within the media industry has been slow. The cost of subtitling has often been cited, particularly for smaller, newer advertisers for whom marketing budgets must truly account for every penny.
As recently as 2024, when Channel 4 announced its intention to make advertising around the Paralympics accessible, just one-quarter of ads submitted to C4’s sales team were subtitle-ready. Though this goal was ultimately missed, significant progress was made and the ensuing attention led to the development of new, lower-cost tech alternatives to support SMEs and newer advertisers.
The opportunity cost of the thousands of viewers watching their favourite content, who may not be able to understand the advertising that supports it, is rarely cited. Those who require closed captioning, audio descriptions, or have other accessibility needs still interact with campaigns, develop relationships with brands and buy products as often as anyone else.
And while the needs of these communities should always be paramount in accessibility conversations, the opportunity cost goes beyond such groups. Just as the content we consume is becoming increasingly digital and video-oriented, so too is the way audiences are choosing to engage. According to a Verizon study, a startling 92% of mobile video views occur with the sound off. Centrally positioned, kinetic captions are as native to TikTok as likes and comments were to Facebook some years ago. As platform users seek escapism from sensory overload, watching creators on mute has fast become a majority experience.
It was these changes in behaviour that prompted the7stars to release our Power of Words whitepaper last year, highlighting that closed captioning not only improved the advertising experience for d/Deaf communities, but also boosted brand sentiment among other consumers.
As such behaviour becomes commonplace, the question for advertisers should not be whether subtitling is an outlay worth making. Instead, brands should be asking which accessibility enhancements they can make to ensure everyone has the chance to connect with the campaign by consulting with those directly impacted. The opportunity cost of excluding these consumers is potentially vast.
Not sure this claim is substantiated in the article. The source appears to refer to mobile video views occurring with the sound off, rather than 92% of adults actively choosing to watch this way.
