ITV has committed to making closed-caption subtitles mandatory on all ads by January 2027

ITV has announced that it will make closed-caption subtitling mandatory for all advertisers across all of its channels and ITVX by January 2027.

The company, which has around 2000 different advertisers, will now have subtitles available on all its adverts, including those made by SMEs.

In addition to asking its bigger advertisers to comply and to ensure the new mandate is achievable for all advertisers, ITV has created a new low-cost service specifically for its new-to-TV SME advertisers to provide them with subtitling on their TV ads. This supplements the existing offering from ITV’s in-house production team, which already makes around 1,000 ads a year at cost.

Jason Spencer ITV Business Development Director said: “Reaching 100% subtitled advertising has been a long-term goal, but has been a unique challenge due to the number of small brands that we work with regionally. We’re proud that not only are we mandating subtitles across our advertising, but that we’re ensuring that it is also available at a low cost point for our smaller advertisers that we work with, marking a milestone for both our advertisers and viewers.”

Bobi Carley, ISBA Director of Media and Advertising Relations, said: “ITV's commitment to 100% subtitled advertising is a significant step forward for accessible advertising in the UK. The Ad Accessibility Network, convened by ISBA, has been championing accessible advertising because brands want to reach all audiences, not just some of them. With 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, subtitles can make a transformative difference to how advertising is experienced. By making subtitling standard and ensuring smaller advertisers can access it too, ITV is helping move accessibility from aspiration to everyday practice. We hope this encourages even more of the industry to follow suit.”

ITV has worked with advertisers on a number of accessibility initiatives, including making audio description available during the Six Nations rugby as part of a partnership with Guinness, and a silent ad break to launch drama Code of Silence in which adverts ran without sound but were signed and/or subtitled.

ITV’s SME strategy to bring more brands onto TV has seen a 15% year-on-year increase in new-to-TV brands, and two thirds of new-toTV advertisers have returned for an additional campaign.

For support and resources from The Ad Accessibility Network, convened by ISBA, visit https://adaccessibility.org/