XR Extreme Reach, the global platform powering advertising operations, released new UK findings from its Global Accessibility Report, revealing that subtitles have become mainstream viewing behaviour across streaming, social, and broadcast content, particularly among younger audiences.

The study, released to mark World Accessibility Day, surveyed 3,000 consumers across the UK, US, France, Germany, and Spain and reveals that 79% of UK viewers use subtitles at least sometimes, while 59% of 18–24-year-olds use them always or often.

The findings point to a major shift in how audiences consume video content, particularly among younger “subtitle-native” viewers who are increasingly moving away from traditional “sound-on” viewing habits toward text-assisted experiences shaped by platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. While younger UK audiences over-index on smartphones and tablets, subtitle usage has become the norm across every device, with Smart TVs remaining the most widely used screen across all markets.

“Advertisers spend enormous amounts trying to capture audience attention, particularly among younger viewers,” said Bobi Carley, Director at ISBA. “If audiences are increasingly consuming content with subtitles on, then accessibility can no longer sit separately from effectiveness. Creative needs to reflect how people actually watch today.”

Across all five markets surveyed, 81% of respondents reported no hearing difficulty, yet 80% said they use subtitles at least sometimes, highlighting how subtitles are now used far beyond traditional accessibility needs.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Stephen Howard-Sarin, MD of Retail Media, Americas @ Criteo

The UK is more likely than any other country surveyed to say subtitles help them catch details they would otherwise miss (40%). Kids and family programming (46%) and movies (44%) ranked among the most-subtitled content types in the study, with UK viewers saying they always or often use subtitles while watching them. Additionally, 39% of UK viewers cited accent or dialect difficulty as a reason for turning subtitles on – the highest rate of any market in the study. The report describes the UK’s “defining characteristic” as accent-related subtitle usage, reflecting the diversity of regional accents across British content and the growing influence of international content on streaming platforms in the UK.

“Subtitling advertising is now a mainstream audience strategy that delivers meaningful value for viewers with and without hearing loss,” said Noreen Connolly, Managing Director at XR Extreme Reach. “The industry has made real progress in normalising subtitles across TV and digital. But as viewing habits continue to evolve, subtitles are increasingly becoming part of how mainstream audiences expect to experience everything they watch.”

Marketing Technology News: From MarTech Stack to MarTech Fabric: Weaving Brand, Content, and Conversion Into One Thread

Subtitles are increasingly shaping advertising engagement and effectiveness. For viewers who primarily watch with subtitles enabled, the report notes that ads without subtitles can create a disruptive viewing experience equivalent to the sound unexpectedly cutting out during an ad break. Across every age group in the UK, audiences say subtitles make them pay more attention to ads (34%), with 18-24-year-olds reporting the biggest lift in ad engagement at 49%.

The findings come as Channel 4’s mandate to increase subtitle adoption and updated Ofcom accessibility guidance around services such as subtitles, audio description, and signing reinforce how subtitles are increasingly becoming a market expectation rather than an accessibility concern.