Research by broadcast regulator Ofcom has found that during the past year, 58% of on-demand providers offered subtitles on at least one of their services, while around 17% offered audio description and just under 13% offered in-vision signing.
On-demand services don't currently have a legal requirement to make programmes available with subtitles, in-vision signing or audio description. However, Ofcom has put the industry on notice that it intends to use powers given it in the Digital Economy Act 2017 to impose accessibility requirements on on-demand services. However, services that operate outside of UK jurisdiction, such as Netflix, aren't impacted.
In contrast, traditional broadcast channels, carried over satellite, cable or terrestrial - which are regulated - have been found to have met their accessibility requirements, with the BBC expected to make subtitles available to as close to 100% of programmes as possible, while most other major channels are expected make 80% of programmes available with subtitles. Major channels must also provide at least 10% of programmes with audio description, while channels are either expected to provide some in-vision signing themselves, or make a contribution to the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT), which makes programmes available on Film4 and Together.
Snapshot: Ofcom research covering audio description on on-demand services
- Notes: BBC iPlayer is not included, because it operates under a different regulatory framework. Services not governed by UK jurisdiction are also absent. The names of the services below aren't necessarily the same names that are used on viewer-facing branding.
- Source data: Ofcom
Service
|
Platform
|
% of content available
with audio description (2019) |
All 4
|
Apple TV
|
21.1%
|
All 4
|
Android app
|
26.4%
|
All 4
|
iOS app
|
21.1%
|
All 4
|
Website
|
26.4%
|
Arsenal Player
|
Website
|
25%
|
Arsenal Player
|
Android/iOS apps
|
25%
|
BFI Player
|
Samsung Smart TV
|
1.2%
|
BFI Player
|
Website
|
1.2%
|
BT TV
|
BT TV
|
1.1%
|
BT TV
|
YouView
|
1.1%
|
CBS Catchup (CBS Drama, Justice, Reality, Horror)
|
Virgin
|
4.5%
|
ITV
|
Android app
|
20.6%
|
ITV
|
iOS app
|
6.2%
|
MTV
|
Now TV
|
3.5%
|
MTV
|
Sky Go
|
3.5%
|
MTV
|
Sky On-demand
|
3.8%
|
MTV
|
Android app
|
2.2%
|
MTV
|
iOS app
|
2.2%
|
MUTV
|
YouTube channel
|
2.1%
|
My 5
|
Amazon Fire TV
|
8.2%
|
My 5
|
Android TV
|
8.3%
|
My 5
|
Apple TV
|
8.3%
|
My 5
|
Google Chromecast
|
4.6%
|
My 5
|
Now TV
|
8.0%
|
My 5
|
Roku
|
8.3%
|
My 5
|
Android/iOS apps
|
8.3%
|
My 5
|
Website
|
8.3%
|
Nickelodeon
|
BT Vision
|
2.4%
|
S4C
|
Samsung Smart TV
|
12.1%
|
S4C
|
Android/iOS apps
|
12.1%
|
S4C
|
TalkTalk TV
|
12.1%
|
S4C
|
Website
|
12.1%
|
S4C
|
YouView
|
12.1%
|
Shorts International
|
Amazon
|
19.4%
|
Shorts International
|
Google Play
|
20.8%
|
Shorts International
|
iTunes
|
17.5%
|
Sky On Demand
|
Sky Showcase
|
2.3%
|
Turner Northern Europe
|
BT TV
|
16.3%
|
Turner Northern Europe
|
Now TV
|
21.8%
|
Turner Northern Europe
|
Sky On-Demand
|
21.8%
|
Turner Northern Europe
|
TalkTalk TV
|
43.3%
|
Turner Northern Europe
|
Virgin TV
|
22.3%
|
Virgin Media On Demand
|
Virgin TV
|
3.9%
|
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