Everyone is Watching with Captions On - 2026
In the latest report from XR they highlight a new XR study which shows captions are the new default for younger viewers
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New XR Study Shows Captions are the New Default for Younger Viewers
Closed captions are no longer just accessibility tools. They’ve become standard viewing behavior across nearly every screen according to a new global study from XR. From streaming and TV to TikTok and gaming, audiences now expect captions everywhere they watch.
But while audiences have fully embraced captions, most advertisers still haven’t gotten the message. XR’s Globally Accessibility study suggests brands that fail to include captions in their ads risk falling behind consumer expectations and missing out on valuable audience engagement.
2026 XR Global Accessibility Study
XR partnered with MX8 Labs to survey more than 3,000 consumers across the U.S., U.K., France, Spain, and Germany ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and the findings were clear: caption use has officially gone mainstream.
Nearly 87% of Americans say they use captions at least sometimes, while almost half say they use them often or always when watching video content.