Sky Sports launches live subtitles for Premier League games

Beginning with this weekend’s (October 10-11) Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool vs Manchester City games, live subtitles will be available on Premier League matches broadcast on Sky Sports' main channels.

Live descriptive audio commentary will also be available on selected Premier League fixtures during the season.

Sky said the initiative is the biggest accessibility rollout across its Sky Sports platforms to date.

The live subtitles service is designed to make coverage more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.

The live descriptive audio commentary has been developed specifically for football supporters with sight loss. Unlike traditional audio description, which adds occasional explanations to television content, the new service provides continuous descriptions of the match action, closer to the style of traditional radio commentary.

Feedback has been gathered from representative users, accessibility specialists, Sky Access Services, and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

UK media regulator Ofcom recently set out its plans to level the regulatory playing field between streaming platforms and traditional broadcasters, so viewers receive similar content protections. Discover more here.