Understand media capability

The accessibility capability of media partners will inform how you deliver accessible ads.

Media capability is accelerating fast. Captions and alt text are already widely supported, and there is continuous development taking place to support audio descriptions for advertising in both broadcast and digital spaces. It’s essential to understand what’s possible for the placements in your media plan in order to plan your campaign production accordingly.

Broadcast capability

Digital capability

Request more information

A woman is watching television with subtitles while sitting comfortably on a sofa.

Photo by Ellyy for Shutterstock

At ITV, we are trying to embed accessibility into everything that we do. That takes two forms: making sure there are no barriers to accessing ITV independently and fully… and making sure there are access services like audio description, subtitles and sign languages across all of our content.

David Padmore - Director of Accessibility - ITV

FranceTV Publicité was the first company in France to broadcast advertising translated into sign language in 2023. In 2024, we strengthened our commitment during the Olympic and Paralympic Games by offering advertisers subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Marianne Siproudhis - Chief Executive Officer - France Télévisions Publicité

With support from industry bodies such as ISBA and IPA, and help from copy delivery aggregators, we managed to increase the number of ads supplied with subtitles (25%) to a whopping 86% during the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics.

Veriça Djurjevic - Chief Revenue Officer - Channel 4

In EMEA, we recognize that accessibility is a critical component of digital inclusion, and it’s essential that our advertising efforts reflect this commitment. By making our ads more accessible, we’re helping to break down barriers and create a more level playing field for businesses and individuals across the region. We’re opening up new avenues for businesses to connect with people who many have been previously underserved.

Derya Matras - Vice President EMEA - Meta

Omnicom Media Group UK, and PHD, champion accessible media planning and buying as both a responsible inclusive ethical belief and as an effective business driver for our clients. Working with ISBA and the other Accessibility Network partners, has enabled us to drive actionable change across the UK & global media landscapes, and this approach should be considered the new standard practice. We look forward to working with our clients to make this business as usual.

Jake Bogert - Global Co-Creation Director & Client Lead - PHD

Broadcast television

Many broadcasters already support closed captions across many of their placements, both in traditional and digital platforms, with development of further capability happening. Read more in egta's Practical Guide to Access Services in TV Advertising.

United Kingdom

More than 80% of TV ad impressions in the UK offer accessibility by way of captions, so TV advertisers should plan to produce them.

In particular, support for traditional linear television has been in place for some time. We are seeing fast development take place for digitally delivered television, and it’s important to work with your broadcast delivery partner to understand the most current capability.

Overview of the UK broadcast clearance process

The broadcast clearance process in the UK involves several key stages – script approval, rough cut review and final TVC (Television Commercial) approval. Multiple providers, including Clearcast, XR (formerly Adstream) and Peach, offer platforms and services to facilitate this process, each helping advertisers meet regulatory and compliance standards. By working with these providers, advertisers can ensure that their ads adhere to UK advertising codes and are suitable for broadcast.

A hand is holding a remote control pointed at a television.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska for Pexels

Adding subtitles (closed captions) to your ad

Adding subtitles to an ad does not require separate pre-clearance. Providers such as XR, Peach and Clearcast help advertisers add subtitles or closed captions in parallel with the clearance process. After the final ad is uploaded to the chosen provider’s platform, advertisers can select a subtitle provider to support accessibility, making it easier to comply with regulations.

Adding audio description (AD) to your ad

Adding AD to an ad requires additional pre-clearance. It’s recommended to start working on the AD track early in the process to allow enough time for writing, recording and clearance. Each of the platforms mentioned above typically offer options to upload the AD file and confirm if the ad includes AD. If any adjustments are needed to the AD track due to script or timing changes, a new track may need to be provided.

Choosing a provider

Advertisers in the UK can choose from several accessibility providers such as XR, Clearcast and Peach, depending on their needs. Each provider offers different features, integrations and support services to help advertisers to add accessibility features, navigate the clearance process, and managing compliance efficiently. For advertisers seeking broader support beyond the UK, XR and Peach are able to provide global coverage, facilitating compliance and reporting across multiple markets.

Finalising your asset for broadcast

When finalising your asset for broadcast, each ad must have a unique ID called a 'Clock Number'. This number is the unique identifier that recognises the ad through clearance and is how broadcasters locate copy and are instructed to run the campaign. There are no revisions or additions permitted to the clock number. Any changes to the ad mean the commercial must be reclocked; resubmitted for clearance; reinstructed through CARIA and then redelivered to the broadcasters. It is not possible to add subtitles or audio description after it has been delivered. The time constraints and financial implications of adding access services after the campaign far outweigh the cost of ensuring your ad is accessible from the start. As some ads can be used for campaigns spanning months and even years, it is important to think about future proofing your content should requirements around accessibility change in the future.

Learn more about the UK clearance process →

France

Advertising on linear TV in France has support for captioning and audio description on TF1 Pub (TF1 and TNT channels), France TV, M6PUB and Canal+. Support on streaming TV is expected to start rolling out in 2025, starting with France TV and TF1 Pub.

According to data from Extreme Reach analysed in November 2024, just over 12% of ads in France are being captioned and just under 4% are being audio described. Faire group members are showing much higher rates of adoption, with more than half of their ads being captioned and 1 in 5 being audio described. Learn more about the Faire program.

A man sits in front of a laptop with headphones on smiling while also looking at his phone.

Photo by Jordan Nicholson for Disability:IN

Accessibility is a priority for TF1 Pub and we aim to continue working with industry partners to ensure greater accessibility on TV advertising. As President of egta, I would like to encourage all partners in the industry, and in particular all TV colleagues, to embark on this journey. Everyone wins if our content and commercial messages are made accessible to all.

- Laurent Bliaut, Deputy Director General, TF1 Pub

Other regions coming soon

To enable advertisers to reach 100% of their audiences, including people with disabilities, we call on broadcasters across the world to continue to build their support for closed captions and audio description. And we call on advertisers to ask for this capability to improve.

Technical specifications

Closed caption subtitling for broadcast is different to creating closed captions or open captions for digital and social media. The broadcast file (STL) is more restrictive than the digital file (SRT) as it has to comply with broadcast standards to ensure it transmits. You should therefore expect different costs for production of STL files. Software that is easily available for SRT creation is not suitable for broadcast.

Make sure to plan time to consider the placement of closed captions on broadcast creative to avoid pack shots, supers, legal text, price points, faces and more. Most automated solutions generate text with the same placement regardless of these other visual features, which are common to broadcast advertising. Remember to plan time and budget for quality checks and testing.

Confirm technical specs with ExtremeReach

Confirm technical specs with Peach

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Digital

Digital platforms also offer widespread support for captions and many now support alt text and/or provide space to include image descriptions. Development is happening quickly on digital platforms, and it’s important to work with your media representatives to understand the most currently capability.

Confirm technical specs for Google placements

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Photo by Nevena1987 for Getty Images

Understanding and improving capability

Collaboration with media partners is essential to drive greater capability in the marketplace.

In addition to requesting information on a media partner's capability, you can help to drive their capability journey forward by letting them know what accessibility features are important to you that you want them to provide. Consider including accessibility in your Joint Business Plans (JBPs), Requests For Proposal (RFPs) and asking for updates in your Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs).

Media partners work hard to improve their capability and have an extensive footprint to consider. By letting them know how you will use accessibliity capability and what placements are a priority for you, you can help them to optimise their development roadmap.

Download our guide to requesting capability from your media partners