This report sets out the extent to which broadcast television channels and on-demand programme services (ODPS) carried subtitles, audio description and/or signing (collectively, “access services”) between January and December 2025.
The statutory rules for broadcast services are different to those for on-demand services. Under the Communications Act 2003, broadcast television channels are required to make a certain proportion of their programmes accessible. The Code on Television Access Services sets out these obligations.
To date, ODPS (commonly known as streaming services) have not had any statutory obligation to provide access services. However, the Media Act 2024 introduced new accessibility requirements for ‘Tier 1 Services’ to be made accessible to disabled people. These are the most watched services that meet a threshold of viewership set by Government[1] and will also include ODPS used by public service broadcasters (other than the BBC[2]) to deliver their public service remit. Tier 1 Services will be required to meet quotas for subtitles, audio description and signing, and to keep audiences informed about these features and report on their quality and usability. Ofcom must publish a Code setting out the requirements and giving guidance on these points. Ofcom is now consulting on how those requirements should be implemented.
Targets for broadcast television channels
Broadcasters are required to meet targets for the different access services they carry on their channels – these targets are calculated based on affordability and the length of time the channel has been obliged to provide access services. Further information on how these quotas are calculated is set out in Ofcom’s Code on Television Access Services.
The annual quotas for broadcast channels are shown as a percentage of hours required to be provided with each access service. For ease of reference, Ofcom reports a single figure for provision of access services for each channel. However, the quotas apply on each delivery platform where a service is regulated.
Channels with an audience share of between 0.05% and 1% have the option either to broadcast a certain amount of sign-presented programming each month or to participate in Ofcom-approved alternative arrangements which contribute to the availability of sign-presented programming.
Where "LumoTV Contribution" is shown in the report, this indicates that the broadcaster participated in an Ofcom-approved arrangement, under which LumoTV commissions sign-presented programming, which is broadcast on the channels Film4 and Together.
Where “Exempt” is marked in the report, this indicates that these channels are exempt from providing audio description due to technical difficulties that would make it impracticable to do so. This is because the nature of the content broadcast on these services (e.g. news programmes) means there is little space within the audio material to provide audio description.
In 2025, all channels met or exceeded their requirements to provide access services.
Ofcom regulates a wide range of ODPS, including public service broadcasters’ catch-up services and subscription services. As outlined above, Ofcom is currently consulting on its proposals for the Tier 1 Accessibility Code, which will implement new accessibility requirements for Tier 1 Services.
As in previous years, we asked ODPS providers to submit data voluntarily on the extent to which they make their services accessible to people with sight and/or hearing impairments. This year’s report is based on 45 responses. The number of providers responding – and which providers respond – can vary, which means that any trends we identify here are indicative only. The data below is compared with data for January – December 2024.
In 2025, the proportion of providers responding to this request who offered subtitles fell to 88.9%, down from 95.5% in 2024. By contrast, the proportion of providers offering audio description continued to rise, reaching 40.0% compared with 38.6% in 2024. Provision of signing also increased to 28.6% of those responding, up from 22.7% in the previous year.
Looking only at services where access services were offered, 2025 saw a small decrease in the proportion of content carrying subtitles (85.1% of programme hours, down from 85.9% in 2024), while the proportion of content with audio description increased to 21.7%, up from 20.7% in the previous year. For services that offered signing, the percentage of programme hours with signing increased from 3.2% in 2024 to 3.8% in 2025. We have excluded Amazon from the analysis in this paragraph (in both the 2024 figures from last year and 2025 figures) as its data is currently presented in a different form to that of other providers (Amazon does not provide accessibility data specific to different platforms – see the interactive report for more detail).
We asked providers to identify barriers to increased provision of access services. As in previous years, costs and resource constraints remain the most frequently cited obstacles. A key barrier continues to be that access services, such as subtitles, audio description or signing, are often not supplied along with acquired programmes, in which case providers may need to create access services from scratch, which can be costly and resource intensive.
Providers also highlighted ongoing technical challenges. These include a lack of standardisation in how platforms handle subtitles and audio description, and uneven support for access services across third‑party and older platforms. In some cases, platforms are not yet able to receive or play certain access services, particularly audio description. This can limit availability even where providers are ready to supply them.
While providers are increasingly exploring automated and AI‑assisted subtitling tools to address cost and capacity pressures, these tools require careful assessment and ongoing human oversight to ensure quality.
Nevertheless, the figures from 2025 continue to suggest that providers are increasing the range of platforms via which they can offer access services. The proportion of responding ODPS providers carrying subtitles on given types of platforms now ranges from 88.9% on games consoles to 92.6% on connected TVs and 100% on mobile apps.
Ofcom is currently facilitating industry-wide discussions around sharing best practice and exploring opportunities to standardise processes and technical solutions, via a working group of both ODPS providers and platforms. In our accessibility best practice guidelines, which we updated and expanded in April 2024, we recommend that providers and content suppliers include access service files as part of acquiring or selling content to discourage access service file duplication costs.
Finally, we continue to ask providers on a confidential basis about any accessibility action plans they currently have in place. In line with the statutory scheme, we encourage providers to develop such plans with a view to continually and progressively making their services more accessible to disabled people – we would like to see accessibility considerations embedded into broader product development strategies and plans. Providers have a statutory duty to give Ofcom a copy of any such accessibility action plans.
Interactive report
We have provided this report in an interactive format so that you can compare the accessibility of broadcast and on-demand services across a variety of platforms.
For the best experience, expand to full screen (click on the button in the bottom right corner).
The full data set is also available to download in CSV format.
If you have accessibility requirements which are not met by these publications, and would like to request this information in a different format, you can email accessibility@ofcom.org.uk or call our Advisory Team from Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00 on 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 3333.
If you are deaf or speech-impaired, you can use our textphone numbers, which are 020 7981 3043 or 0300 123 2024.
[1] The On-demand Programme Services (Tier 1 Services) Regulations 2026
[2] The BBC currently provides access services, including subtitles, audio description and signing, on its on‑demand content and Ofcom is proposing in its consultation that BBC UK Public On Demand Programme Services will be subject to the new Tier 1 Accessibility Code.