After being sued by America’s National Association of the Deaf, the video streaming company Netflix have agreed to offer captions (which are called subtitles in the UK) on 100% of its TV and movie content in the USA within two years.
However, when we contacted the UK arm of the company, they told us that while they expect their provision to increase, they will not match the commitment the company have made in the USA. They also refused to give any specific targets for improving the level of captioning they provide in this country.
A representative of Netflix told us: “We are committed to providing an accessible service and you can expect that percentage to increase over time, though I can’t give any precise goals.”
At present, 82% of the content that American viewers watch has captions available, which will go up to 100% in September 2014. However, the number is much lower in the UK, at just 60%.
While television channels have a duty to provide a certain amount of their programming with subtitles, the same legal obligation does not exist online, which means that deaf viewers face a very different level of service on video streaming websites.
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Rob
October 15, 2012
Only one word here “TYPICAL”……
UK EA2010 is so pathetic….unenforceable…
Teresa Garratty
October 15, 2012
Oh man! Step it up Netflix UK! I wonder why the caption/subtitle content is different for different regions…Is it a licencing thing? Or are Netflix UK just lazy?
That said, I rate Netflix much higher than LoveFilm. Their lack off subtitles and understanding has been atrocious in the past.
60% is better than nothing but if the USA can have it higher, then why can’t we?!
🙁
barakta
October 15, 2012
Pathetic. Could one of the UK deaf organisations sue NetFlix/LoveFilm et al and get the same response?
The issue isn’t so much the Equality Act so much as needing to be used which means ability and willingness to lawyer up and keep on lawyering through the other side’s lawyering nonsense.
iheartsubtitles
October 24, 2012
What to do? Action on Hearing Loss and OFCOM currently have a survey open on subtitiling but it implies digital broadcast TV and not streamed content via the internet? https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Qualitysubtitlessurvey
Neil
November 7, 2012
Fine, is it possible to sue Netflix UK as well? Somebody with money and ball got to do it!
iheartsubtitles
November 8, 2012
Sadly not because there is no law covering streamed content and the availability of subtitles in the UK. There has been a meeting this month to discuss these issues last month that includes Action On Hearing Loss, AVOD and Ofcom. I’m looking forward to finding out the results/next steps. This is the most up to date article I could find on current status: http://www.atvod.co.uk/uploads/files/Access_Services_Plan_Edition_1.2_120912.pdf
neil
November 10, 2012
Really odd service between USA and UK Netflix, you can watch USA Netflix from here, just goggle. UK service like heroes season 4, most BBC shows like Dr who and also some films no subtitle but yet USA Netflix have English subtitle! That is just stupid! Meanwhile enjoying USA Netflix at the moment. Illegal I know but I have to break the law here so I can watch it with subtitle….lol!
Chris witnall
October 27, 2014
I’m from uk and totally pissed off (pardon) with netflix because it’s cover fewer of the film that I want to watch, £6.99 a month for half of the film subbed for myself I’m stoned deaf and needed the subtitles and I found other alter which youncan watch Netflix in uk while on US netflix via DNS code Google it up “us DNS Netflix” now I’m using us netflix I don’t care if I get banned as I’ll sued…..I have my right,
david
December 11, 2014
A constant stream of emails to Amazon (Love Film) asking why NOTHING is subtitled. They still cannot provide a decent answer, or even say they are interested. I bet their front door has a wheelchair ramp. But no-one seems to be concerned with deaf and hard of hearing. Every other disability is covered by legislation. Why?
Thank you BBC for your subtitling. And iPlayer too. Good job they make some of the best programmes. There’s a whole section of society that are sadly being ignored – and it’s a marketing opportunity that these companies are missing out on. The first streaming company to offer subtitles will win a lot of new customers!
Lisa Tunnah
September 2, 2015
what happened to equal rights? equal opportunities? deaf people obviously don’t watch tv! This is disgusting and should be made a law! Not just for Netflix but for all new films, DVDs, TV channels.
Lets face it, the people at the top of these companies probably don’t have deafness or deafness in their family and don’t fully understand it therefore its not a priority to them. If it costs money to solve and not a priority its not on their agenda.
As a profoundly deaf person with 100% hearing loss I have had to fight my whole life for the basics. I speak and lipread, don’t do BSL. I work full time and never claimed a penny,
IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK ; At the end of the day to be able to sit with my family (whom are of normal hearing) to watch a film or series with subtitled?
david
September 3, 2015
I have been sending emails to equal rights / equal opportunities / Deaf / HoH organisations, Amazon and Netflix on this issue to no avail. I have had very few replies and certainly no interest. Amazon and Netflix couldn’t care less. They can’t offer any real reason why they won’t subtitle and, unless we can sue like the USA, they never will.
As someone commented, the BBC is the only company committed to 100% subtitling – and now the government want to close it down and we’ll be stuck with nothing to watch!
I’m not sure what the answer is, but for now I shall continue to support iPlayer!