Boom in adoption of subtitling in UK advertising, XR finds

The company said that its findings point to a meaningful shift in how the industry approaches accessibility, with every ad category increasing caption usage year-over-year, suggesting this is a structural change rather than a short-term trend.

XR Extreme Reach added that its data highlights both progress and gaps. Government advertising saw the steepest rise of any sector, up 51% points, while beauty and personal care lead all categories with 81% of ads subtitled. However, automotive lagged behind at just 28%, the lowest of any industry tracked.

June Johnson, Director of Accessibility Services at XR, said: “More viewers are choosing to watch TV series and social content with subtitles on, often by default, and advertisers are clearly taking note. Subtitle adoption has doubled in two years, which is a remarkable pace of change and a real sign that the industry is stepping up. When people can both see and read the message, recall and comprehension increase, making advertising more effective and inclusive for everyone.”

XR noted that the rise in subtitled advertising reflects changing viewing habits, particularly among younger audiences, with 61% of 18 to 24-year-olds watching video with subtitles. However, with nearly half of ads still lacking captions, brands risk missing a significant share of viewers who rely on or prefer captioned content, the company highlighted.

With subtitle usage doubling in just two years, XR said its data signals a clear tipping point for the industry but also underlined how far there is still to go.